


Two Broken Mirrors

by OBrownies



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Chess, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Misunderstandings, Sarcasm, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Technology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2020-05-01 17:11:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 84,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19182205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OBrownies/pseuds/OBrownies
Summary: Ana Nikolaev and Seto Kaiba's nearly identical, yet conflicting, personalities clashed as she unwittingly accepted an internship at Kaiba Corp for a position she hated.  Will the two proud and stubborn geniuses remain in conflict forever? Or will they learn to appreciate the mirroring qualities they see within each other?Find out! On the next episode of Dragon Bal- I mean, Two Broken Mirrors!





	1. Emptiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, first of all, thank you for reading, you lovely creature you :)  
> Second, this if my first attempt at writing fanfiction of any sort, it would be greatly appreciate it if you could leave me comment or a critique, (it's always nice to hear the reader's feedback, even if you tell me I suck). And not gonna lie, it's motivational as well. :D
> 
> Tootles!

At the intersection of Kaiba-Corp Blvd. and Domino Ave., a custom-made Audi R8 waited patiently as the traffic light illuminated the motionless young CEO in his driver’s seat.

Overcome with exhaustion, he closed his eyes for brief moment, but quickly regained his composure as a flash of green skimmed across his heavy eyelids. As the car started to accelerate, his younger brother, Mokuba, begins to recite the summary report of an incident that occurred today.  Seto Kaiba struggled to listen, adding yet another task to his overflowing work agenda.  Seto expected nothing less than extraordinary from all of Kaiba Corp’s employees, and as their leader, he strives to achieve the impossible.  The success of Kaiba Corp had nothing to do luck, he reminded himself, but was the result of his backbreaking labor and avid determination. 

As Mokuba concluded the last few details of the report, Seto redirected his attention to the clock on the dashboard, reading [2:34AM].

_'Four and a half hours,'_

That’s all the sleep he’s going to get after a 21-hour workday. 

Running his fingers through his dark chestnut hair, Seto slowly eased the Audi onto his expansive driveway, shaking his brother awake as he does so.   An unexpected wave of adrenaline rushed through his body as he stepped into the frigid night air, the sudden invigorating shock jolting Seto’s body awake.  He paused; the feeling reminiscent of his past experiences, the excitement of finding the last Blue Eyes White Dragon; the bitterness of losing for the first time; and the joy of being pitted against a worthy adversary.

Seto pressed his fingers firmly against his burning temple.

 _‘Stop it,_ ’ he warned himself, as he stepped into the front foyer of his enormous mansion.  Feeling dejected and empty, he paused for a moment to clear his head of these unhappy fleeting thoughts.  “Mr. Kaiba, this came in for you this evening,” his maid said sleepily, handing him a folder.

 _‘Two and a half hours.’_ He sighed as he dragged himself to his office, glancing at the folder full of work he has to complete.

On the opposite side of the world, 23-year-old Ana Nikolaev sat quietly to herself, eyes half open as she waited for her departure to Tokyo. As the plane glides through the misty runway, Ana looks out the window, unsure of the new adventure that awaited her on the other side of the globe.

 

* * *

 

 

As Seto settled in his office for the morning, he adjusted his chair slightly, shifting away to avoid the blinding morning sun.

“The profiles of the new research interns, Mr. Kaiba,” Roland said, handing the somnolent young man a small tablet, “the HR department requests that you personally vet the candidates before they proceed on to the final selection process.”  Seto begrudgingly sips on a cup of black coffee as he absentmindedly scanned through the list of applicants. Normally, doing some cardio workouts would be enough to fully wake him, but not today, today he really needed that extra boost from the caffeine.

Scrolling through the tablet, Seto was slightly disappointed at the similarities between this crop of applicants and the previous pool of interns;

_…Adisa Mmeremikwu – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Computer Engineering;_

_Amir Al-Aswad – King Abdulaziz University, Aerodynamic Systems;_

_Hanshi Li – Beijing University, Organic Chemistry;_

_Joseph Warren – Harvard, Political Science;_

_Landon Brighton – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Robotics;_

_Priyanka Laghari – Harvard, Biomedical Engineering;_

_Sophia Perez – University of São Paulo, Neurophysiology;_

_William Evans – Cambridge, Cor…_

 

"Mr. Kaiba," executive secretary Hiroka chirped, her voice ringing through Seto’s earpiece "Vice President Howard from U.S. EnGen is on his way for the merger negotiations; he is expected to arrive around 8:30 this morning."

 _'Ugh, I don't have time for this nonsense, I’ve got more important things to deal with.'_   Seto thought, unable to trudge through the rest of the boring list with more pressing matters on hand. Thankful for the interruption, he shoved the tablet back into Roland's waiting hands. "Hiroka, tell Howard he better be here AT 8:30AM" he barked.  "And give this to Mokuba," he then ordered, pointing to the tablet, "he should be waking up soon, if not, make sure he's up by 10:00." Seto instructed.

Mokuba has earned a few more hours of rest, he reasoned, knowing his little brother went to bed late last night.

With a curt tilt of his chin toward the door, Seto quickly dismissed Roland, not wanting to be bothered by these little college nobodies any longer.

 

* * *

 

 

As Seto busied himself with the tasks ahead, Ana arrived at her apartment in the heart of Tokyo. While she enjoyed her previous trips to this city, she's not overly fond of the crowdedness that comes with it. Bustling cities are great for the occasional visit but ideally, Ana would have preferred a more idyllic living situation for her extended stay.  Disobeying the exchange student policy, Ana got herself an apartment, loathing the idea of having to share her personal space with a roommate.

A few weeks prior to her arrival, Ana browsed through some apartment listings near Ginza.  _‘Not bad,'_   she thought.  Aside from the obvious luxury boutique shops and Michelin decorated restaurants, it's only a 20-minute drive to University of Tokyo (UT) and considerably more private than a place near college town.

Thinking back, Ana regretted her decision to enroll in the prestigious exchange program. _‘Meh,’_   She thought as she read through the advertisement on the last day of her Fall semester.  _‘A 1 years stay, and it’ll only count for 20 credit hours? Not worth it.’_ She thought, tossing away the brochure.  But unfortunately, as one of the higher achieving students at MIT, the institution took notice of her absence and strongly 'encouraged' her to sign up for the program, going as far as to offer extra incentives like waiving certain graduation requirements.  

Unloading her luggage as soon as she reached the front door, Ana bolted to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

“Disgusting,” she whined to herself as she scrubbed her body furiously; she was sure flatulence was released in her flight cabin, making her gag through her dinner.  Annoyed for not being able to charter or to fly her own private jet; albeit her own fault for waiting until literally the very last minute, Ana was still very grateful for everything she has.  Very few people, let alone students, can afford their own fully furnished two-story apartment in the center of Japan’s premier, in other words, expensive-as-hell, shopping district.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, a brand-new Aston Martin One-77 sat waiting for Ana on the front curb of her apartment, a gift from her older brother, Mikhail, no doubt. A little excessive perhaps but trying to convince him otherwise would take more effort than she was willing to invest.  Eager to avoid Tokyo’s infamous rush-hour stampede, Ana happily hopped into her new car, driving carefully as to avoid being caught without a valid driving license.

 

Walking to her first class, Ana noticed some curious stares that were tossed in her direction.

 _'Was it the car?'_ she wondered

nah, the car was deliberately parked out-of-view;

_'my clothes?'_

can't be, unless skinny jeans are suddenly head-turning worthy;

_'maybe it's because I'm not Japanese?'_

not exactly, there are lots of foreigner on campus.

Unable to come-up with an answer to her satisfaction, Ana shook off the thoughts and continued on.  

 

* * *

 

"Nii-sama," Mokuba smiled as Seto stepped off the elevator onto the main basement corridor. Ignoring his little brother's greeting, Seto marched straight to Lab B-8, where he spotted an unfinished optics tracker. "Where is Ishida?" he inquired sharply, looking around the room. "Um, don't know bro, I think he left for lunch about 20 minutes ago."

... wrong answer.

Sensing danger, Mokuba attempted a hasty distraction, "Hey! Have you seen the updated card reader system yet Seto? The software recognition speed had doubled since you last saw it!" he shouted, trying to drag Seto away from the lab.

"Why else would I ever bother coming down here?" Seto scoffed, continuing to inspect the tracker, albeit a little calmer than he was a few seconds ago. The ferocious young man was well aware of the effect he has on people, his sheer presence alone was usually enough to intimidate most into submission; a menacing trait he inherited from his late stepfather Gozoborou, a trait Seto both valued and despised.

Just then, a middle aged man with neatly combed hair burst through the lab doors, and with one look from the weary CEO, he knew he was in for an epic ass-chewing.  Although it was only a momentary absence, Ishida was aware that any excuse or apology made to Seto will be made in vain.   As the nervous program director stepped closer, Seto noticed Ishida's lab coat was peppered with the spilled contents of his half-eaten lunch, dropping his soup out of panic no doubt.

 _'What an useless idiot,'_ Seto scorned.

 

“I-”

"Save it!" Seto snapped, cutting short whatever Ishida's pathetic attempt at an apology was going to be. The whole room halted to a standstill at the sound of Seto’s booming voice.  Ishida trembled before him, cringing as if he is expecting a blow to the face. "The mock-up lenses from Germany were delivered yesterday, so tell me, Ishida, why is it sitting on the counter!?" Seto bellowed, crushing the tracker in his hands.  "I..I.. we thought the trackers had to be...be.. disassembled before the installation, so...so... we thought..." Ishida stammered.

Irritated with this delay, no, this EASILY avoidable delay, Seto narrowed his eyes, "DR. Ishida," he emphasized, "Do you know how to read? Do you know how to follow simple directions?" he scolded, pointing to the unopened, still shrink-wrapped protocol manual. "I paid extra for those custom lenses just so you DON'T have to do any disassembling," Seto shouted as he glared at the cowering man, “You should be fired for his.” He threatened.

Looking around at his shocked employees, Seto frowned at their lack of progress, "You simpletons better have these trackers reassembled and operational by 9:00AM tomorrow, if not, you'll live to regret it!" he threatened the room at large. As he prepared to leave, a bewildered Seto wondered how these supposedly top-of-the-line employees manage to consistently fuck up the easiest of tasks.

 _'These incompetent buffoons certainly have a common gift of making simple things complicated.'_ He fumed.  If this is the level of talent available at Kaiba Corp, then the rest of the world must be overrun packs of idiot toddlers.

 _'Oh well,'_ Seto though, debating if he should save his breath. _'No, they ask for it, so I might as well enjoy it,'_ he sneered as he sought out his next victim.


	2. The Intern

The setting sun provided the perfect backdrop for the Tokyo skyline, a mixture of blue, red, and purple hues blended seamlessly into the darkening sky. Ana looked out her lab window, wishing she could be at home instead, enjoying a nice big dinner with her big brother. 

 _'It's not like I'll be seeing them again after all this,'_ she thought as she looked around at her classmates, not bothered to befriend any of them at all.

Ana’s antisocial tendencies aren’t helped by her hatred of small talks and useless formalities either.  Staying away from the limelight unlike her outgoing brother, Ana was accustomed to spending time in isolation aside from dealing with the obligatory social necessities like school for instance.  But mostly, she enjoyed her solitude, trading a lifestyle of wealth and comfort for more worthwhile activities. Like learning a new language; exercising; the art of hacking; music … all in all the makings of a well-rounded person, but unfortunately stubbornly proud and seemingly lacking empathy.

 

_'Can't believe Kaiba allows this ridiculousness to be broadcasted,'_ Ana mused as she watched the rerun of Battle City finals while finishing her last organic extraction of the day. 

While not a duelist herself, watching teenagers shout strategies at each other over a card game would always be preferred over the background chatter in the lab; although Marik Ishtar and Yugi Mutou's little  _hooky-spooky_ back and forth about shadow realm is getting a bit out of hand.

Ignoring Marik and Yugi's long drawn supernatural debate, Ana thought of something funny that occurred the other day.  While trekking across campus, she was approached by a group of young boys, all of them eagerly asked for her picture and autograph.  "Anata wa watashi ga dareda to omoimasu ka (who do you think I am)?" Ana teased in response. "Your Japanese sounds great! Did you learn it for the interviews for the launch of Versace Winter collection here in Tokyo?" they beamed.

 _'Versace... Versace... hmm, I swear I read about this somewhere...'_ Anna stalled, pretending to gather her words, _'Ah! It's that model Barbara Palvin!'_ she smiled. "Yes, I'm the new spokesperson for Versace Japan."  Ana said as she scribbled Barbara Palvin's name onto their notebooks, taking selfies with the young fans left and right.

Laughing to herself as she walked away, Ana wondered what had prompted her to lie ...  Getting a sadistic kick out of tricking gullible people?  The stress of school manifesting into maniacal psychotic tendencies? _'Eh, it can't be that bad,'_  she shrugged,  _'they got their autograph and I got my answer.'_ Happy to have finally pinpointed the reason for the stares she's been receiving, Ana was oblivious to their compliments on her apparent attractiveness.

 

* * *

 

 

As Ana started her on late-night writing session that evening.  Twenty miles away on the outskirts of Domino City in the eastern Tokyo Metropolis, Seto Kaiba sat alone in his home office, pouring over the data sent in by his senior analyst.

 _'Why isn't this working?'_ Seto thought as he closed his eyes in frustration, _'the hardware and simulations ran perfectly just 3 hours ago, and all of the regressions were verified at 99.99%! Why isn't this working?!'_ Aggravated, he pressed his forehead into his hands. _'It won't get resolved until the investigation team conducts a forensic-analysis tomorrow.'_

Feeling lightheaded, Seto leaned back onto his soft leather chair and loosened the top 3 buttons of his dress shirt in an attempt to cool himself down. Stifling a yawn as he resigned himself to calling it a night, he closed his laptop with more force than he intended.

Passing by Mokuba in the living room, Seto hid his bitter disappointment at yet another failure as he patted his brother on the head. "Everything ok Seto?" Mokuba asked looking up from his book. "Yeah..." was all he could muster to say before walking away.

 

* * *

 

 

Stirring as the morning sun filtered through the large floor to ceiling windows into his cavernous bedroom, Seto was greeted by a pounding headache as he dragged his way into the bathroom. 

Supporting his tired body as he propped his hands on either side of the sink, he looked up at his reflection; a pair of bloodshot eyes stared right back at him, slightly obscured by a bed of messy brown hair.

_'Slept in my work clothes again...'_

Removing his expensive wristwatch and setting it aside, Seto lumbered his way towards the shower as he tossed aside his wrinkled dress shirt and pants.  Stepping into the cold shower, Seto closed his eyes as a jet of icy water pour over his face.  His sore aching muscles tensed as water rained over his body.  As the temperature warmed, Seto did some simple exercises in his enormous shower, wanting to wake up without having to chug another cup of coffee.

Lately, Seto finds so little satisfaction in doing the things that he used to enjoy; he has everything now; money, power, intelligence, looks, and if he chose to, women. But why does he still feel so hollow?

“I’m just tired that’s all.” He whispered, returning to his regular shower routine. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Internships in your respective fields are a requirement while you attend the University of Tokyo." Tanaka-sensi announced, "We pride ourselves in graduating students who are not only intelligent but are also diligent and experienced. You are here because you were deemed to be the best of the best by your superiors and fellow students, now go out there and prove that you are worthy of representing our prestigious university."

 _'That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure!'_ Ana's eye twitched at this unexpected inconvenience.  Tanaka droned and on about the available opportunities, bragging endlessly about UT’s glorious reputation and how the school is well connected with every major corporation in the larger Tokyo area.  “…and please submit your resume and the preferred vocations to Hiro-sensi by the end of this Friday." He finally concluded.

Ana bowed with the rest of the class, mentally kicking herself for not reading the program contract in more detail.  As Tanaka-sensi exited the classroom, an eruption of chatter followed suit,

"...I've already contacted the HR at Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, who are you applying to?"

"...did you hear? Kaiba Corp isn't accepting anymore interns this year", "that sucks! I really wanted to work there!"

"My uncle works at Toyota Motor, he's the vice director of the engineering departm...".

 

Ana frowned as she blocked out the buzzing chatter around her.  _'Shimadzu would be ok but it's on the other side of town,’_ she mused, assigning numeric values to each option based on their potential impacts and benefits.  _‘I would give Industrial Illusions an 8, but Pegasus seems a little....Oh wait!'_ she jumped.

 _'Ugh, So Stupid! How could I have forgotten this?'_ Ana smacked herself on the forehead as she opened her laptop. By that afternoon Ana has put forth her resume for MoSAIC, the Tokyo subbranch of a large biotechnology company conveniently owned by her brother, so by extension, her; although Ana assumes no responsibility on the business end of things. 

As her's finger pressed [SEND], Ana was completely confident that yet again, her utter brilliance has saved her from another unexpected setback. Beaming at herself in her blissfully arrogant state, Ana had totally underestimated her brother's propensity to jest at every situation. 

 

* * *

 

 

For months, Seto and his team has been hard at work on the iris tracker system, trying to enhance the visual holographic projections without warping the image proportions. As part of his next innovation, the ambitious Seto Kaiba had intended to incorporate the otherwise perfected Duel Disk-X with an upgraded laser-tracing iris sensor. 

Impatient for the elevator, the young CEO stormed down the long flights of stairs towards the basement of his building, hell-bent on finding the person responsible for last night's failure.

Kaiba Corp is the frontier innovator for visual gaming products all around the world, amassing a legion of loyal and eager fans along the way.  The culmination of these small but constant delays was severely hindering the scheduled unveiling of his latest product.   This level of setback was not only an embarrassment to the company, but also to Seto Kaiba himself.

 "We've pinpointed the source of the problem Mr. Kaiba, it's an error from the robotics department," Roland said, scurrying alongside Seto. "Director Schmidt thinks it's one of the new interns from MIT sir." Roland concluded, his brow furrowing lightly as he felt a sense of pity. The poor kid has no idea what's coming, it's better to face death than to face Mr. Kaiba's wrath and fury after a mistake of this magnitude.

 

* * *

 

 

"Sorry Seto, please forgive me, I should've looked into their profiles more carefully," Mokuba pleaded, as he stood in front of Seto's desk, his head hung low in an attempt to avoid his big brother's searing gaze.  As much as Seto wanted to reprimand him for such a critical error, he can't bring himself to fully blame Mokuba.  Instead, the next 30 minutes, Seto scared the living shit out of the poor intern and his graduate advisor by unleashing the full rage of his inner Obelisk the Tormentor onto them.     

 _'Who the hell do they think they are!?'_ Seto raged after terminating the video conference call.  Mokuba flinched as Seto flung his pen at full force over his little brother's head, lodging it into the wall behind him.  A sudden beeping from his phone reminded Seto of an upcoming meeting he has with an important investor.  Trying to find some inner peace Seto closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "M..Mr. Kaiba sir, you have a call from MIT on line 2." secretary Hiroka stammered through his headpiece.  Agitated by this unwanted disturbance, Seto roared back into his speaker "What the hell do they want now?!"

"I think they want to ... um renegotiate the terms of employment for the interns sir... and also to send you a....a replacement." Hiroka ended quietly, unnerved by the subsequent silence that followed.

"What...?" Seto finally muttered, "say that again?".

"Ye..Yes sir, a replacement sir.  Her name is Ana Alexei Nichovae, Nikooleev..." Hiroka struggled, eager to redirect Seto's anger to someone else.

_'Re-negotiate? They must be dumber than Wheeler!’_

"She specializes in biochemistry, and comp-." Hiroka continued,

“Be quiet, I didn't ask!" Seto shouted, ripping off his earpiece.

Well accustomed to her boss's temper tantrums, Hiroka waited patiently as Seto regained his composure. "Fine," he hissed, slowly replacing his earpiece. "They better make sure she's well compensated," Seto warned, his incredulous expression gradually morphed into his signature mocking grin, "because I'm going to make her life a living hell."

 


	3. Oh-no The Sun!

"Just wait till I come home, you evil son-of-a-bitch." Ana snarled at her brother, Mikhail, while glaring at the rejection letter he had sent her.

["As direct offspring of the late Rozalina Nikolaev,"] NERO interjected in his monotone voice, ["the intended insult of the expression  _you-son-of-a-bitch_  is ineffective when it's used against another offspring sharing greater than 50% genetic makeup post recombin-."]

"Ok, Ok!" Ana shouted, cutting the AI's sarcastic reply short.

NERO (short for Neuro-Electric-Resonance-Operator), is the next generation artificial hyper-intelligence simulation model, created by Ana as part of her PhD research.  Ana programmed this cutting-edge AI all by herself using a combination of neuro-algorithmic machine learning and nanotechnology. Although NERO is just a prototype, she has grown quite fond of him.

"This is the best thing ever," Mikhail laughed, his booming cackle amplified by her cellphone speaker. "If it weren't for your stupid idea of a jok-". "Oh Whatever Ana!” Mikhail interrupted, “I told you already, I WAS going to accept your application, how was I supposed to know they were gonna force you to work at Kaiba Corp?" Mikhail defended, "besides, you? Working for Seto Kaiba? Hahaha... !"

Despite Mikhail's constant pranks, Ana loved her older brother dearly.  He's only family member she has left after the death of her parents over 12 years ago. Mikhail took over for their father and mother after their passing; continuing their research on nano-technology and artificial intelligence for the advancement of biomedical engineering, for applications like enhancing prognosis accuracy, cell regeneration, and gene therapy.  

As brilliant as the charismatic Mikhail may be with money and business, he is no match for his little sister when it comes to math and science.  Between the two siblings, they managed to launch the giant technology conglomerate known as MoSAIC, the most successful and profitable biomedical research company on the planet.

 _'Ugh,'_  Ana grumbled to herself as she hung up the phone  _'I should've seen this coming.'_

Yes, Ana was the brainchild behind MoSAIC's technical success, but it was her brother's sharp wit and cunning that had brought in all of the investors and contracts. With her ridiculous level of pride and stubbornness, Ana wanted to prove to herself she’s capable of surviving on her own.

As the only student without a formal acceptance letter for an internship, Ana was forced to take over for the previous intern, Landon Brown, at Kaiba Corp. In an effort to offset this inconvenience with some form of personal compensation, Ana negotiated for leniency on her exams and homework assignments; as if she was just going to accept this job without a fight.

 

* * *

 

 

"...please arrive no later than 7:30AM on Monday the 16th," a voice chirped from Ana's voicemail, "once you've arrived please proceed to level 60 and ask for Secretary Hiroka at the front desk, she will discuss the details of your work assignment with you.  And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call us back.  Again, my name is Yuriko Tataka, Kaiba Corp Employment Management Division, representative #698-K2."

 

* * *

 

 

As Ana strolled towards the entrance of Kaiba Corp Monday morning, a shadow skimmed across her as she approached the front staircase. Glancing up, she could see a pair of colossal animatronic Blue-Eyes White Dragons towered over the main gate, reminding Ana of the lion statues guarding the gates to the Forbidden City.  As she continued towards the main atrium, she paused for a moment to take in the garish display before her; statues of Kaiba himself and a panoramic projection of duel monster holograms reaching all the way up to the skylight.  

MoSAIC, unlike Kaiba Corp, limited their services to exclusive clienteles like hospitals, research labs and government facilities. “As if Mary from down the street would buy a car sized MRI to put in her living room.” Mikhail would joke. So, these attention-grabbing decorations were never high on the list of priorities for advertising, nor was putting their cutting-edge biomedical devices on display for all to see.

Per the directions provided by Yuriko, Ana arrived at front desk of the 60th floor and proceeded to inform the young receptionist of her appointment with Hiroka.

"Please, follow me," the woman smiled, stepping away from her desk as she guided Ana to her destination.  Slowing her pace as they neared the back of the building, the woman suddenly announced, "Unfortunately, Mrs. Hiroka is currently unavailable," before stopping abruptly in front of a large frosted doorway,

"But not to worry, Mr. Kaiba is expecting you instead," she concluded as the frost cleared, revealing a dark hallway behind the giant glass doors.

"Mr. Kai..., but, what?" Ana whirled around for some answers but the woman had already disappeared behind the corner.  Unsure of what to make of the situation, Ana stood on the spot, turning her head back and forth wondering how she should proceed.

_'Oh, for God's sake...'_

Having run out of patience, Ana marched towards the pair of intricately carved Mahogany doors at the end of the dimly lit hallway. Biting her lips to calm her sudden nervousness, Ana lightly rapped the door.

 

*Creeeeeak*

 

A ray of light from the harsh morning sun blinded her instantly. Ana's delicate greyish steel-blue eyes, accustomed to the hazy lighting of her apartment and the perpetually darkened basement labs, started to water immediately from the searing pain.  Knowing this must be a deliberate set-up by Kaiba to intimate her, Ana produced a sardonic grin as she tilted her head aside slightly, seeking shade behind her bangs.

"Oh great, another one," a low husky voice drawled from somewhere in room. 

Squinting and straining with her eyes, Ana was able to make out the rough outline of a man sitting behind a large desk, his facial features obscured while backlit by the window that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

“Hmph,"Seto grumbled at the sight of Ana, his trick didn't work as intended.  Ana's unflinching steadiness against the blinding sun, something Seto struggled with himself, ignited both an immediate interest and an intense sense of irritation.

 _'_ _Come on, you can do better than that,'_ Ana sneered. This petty bullshit was nothing Mikhail hadn't tried before.

 

Presuming that the sitting figure must indeed be Kaiba, Ana gave a deep, somewhat curt bow.

"Good morning Mr. Kaiba, I'm An-"

"I know," Seto snapped, "go bore someone else with your introductions". 

Ana startled, slightly taken aback by his abrupt rudeness. "Of course, sir," she smiled, her lips re-curled into a mocking grin, "had I known you’d done so much research about me, I would have given you the same courtesy."

"Just as I expected, dumb and disrespectful." Seto scoffed. "My apologies Mr. Kaiba, but MIT didn’t want to waste the talents of their better students so needlessly.”

 

The ambience grew cold, as their eyes met.  Ana could see Roland shifting uncomfortably through her periphery, but neither she nor Seto were willing to be the first one to break eye contact.

 _'It's definitely not the worst thing that's ever been said to Mr. Kaiba,'_  Roland thought, wiping a bead of sweat form his forehead,  _'but this level of disrespect, from a subordinate!'_

 

Eyes still burning from the blast of sunlight earlier, Ana was no match for Seto's unrelenting glare.  On the verge of giving in to those piercing indigo eyes of his, Ana's eyelids flickered wildly ....  "Nii-sama!" Mokuba shouted, bursting through the office door.  Thanking the heavens that the competition is finally over, Ana quickly closed her eyes, quenching her burning iris with sweet sweet tears.

"What is it Mokuba?" Seto asked, looking away, but not before catching Ana's little teary moment. "Schmidt and Ishida are looking for you, they're waiting in the second-floor conference room."  The younger Kaiba responded, turning a curious gaze onto the girl standing next to him.

"Handle this," Seto gestured towards Ana as he headed out the door.

"Sure Seto."

_'Handle me? Why you-"_

"Oh, and Nikolaev?" Seto sneered, staring down at Ana as he turned to shut the door, "better luck next time."


	4. Irritations

Mokuba tapped his foot impatiently as he asked for the second time “So you're the new intern huh? Look, I'm supposed to show you around Kaiba Corp, so if you'll quit stalling...." he said curtly. "My apologies, Mr. Kaiba." Ana said wiping the tears from her eyes, while trying her best to address the twerp with the upmost respect. "That's right! You know, I'm not just Seto's younger brother, but I'm also the Vice President of Kaiba Corp." the teenager said proudly, pointing to his name-badge.

_'Oh, you're his brother alright.'_

Wanting to jest with Mokuba for a bit, Ana smiled sweetly and inclined her head forward, tucking her hair behind her ears.  She proceeded to looked down shyly and muttered in the sweetest voice possible, "Watashi no koto o yoroshikuonegaishimasu (please take care of me)." This cause Mokuba to take a small step backwards, completely thrown off by Ana's sudden change of demeanor.

 _'Pff, teenagers, too easy.'_   She scoffed haughty at the fact that yet another person was unable to resist her fakery.  Rolling her eyes, Ana followed Mokuba out of the office.

With the initial excitement of a personal tour around Kaiba Corp wearing off as the exclusion quickly became long and tedious.  Ana looked on uninterestingly as Mokuba insisted on explaining every detail about every little thing.  Completely unable to concentration on Mokuba’s stupid speal about some random software used by their marketing department, Ana felt he had just wasted 20 minutes of her life bull-shitting her about something he had probably never even seen until just minutes ago.   As they finished the 5th hour of the tour, Ana couldn't help but ask, "Pardon my interruption Mr. Kaiba, but do you guys do this all the time? For all of the interns?". She questioned. "No, since you're a late addition to the team, we just wanted to make sure you're all caught up that's all." Mokuba answered quickly, without missing a beat, as if he was expecting this question all along.

 _'Riiiight, cut the horse-crap kid',_  Ana thought as she begrudgingly expressed her gratitude for his time.

In truth, Mokuba was just following orders; helping Seto figure out what makes the new intern tick. Unfortunately, however, Mokuba was unable to progress with Ana beyond the typical pleasantries, let alone diving into more private matters.  So, he has opted to subject her to as much stimulation as possible, choosing to carefully observe her reactions instead.

 

Arriving at the 36th floor for the final portion of the tour, Ana finally broke. Tired and hungry, Ana was felt on edge as they trekked through the Game Design and Theory department. 

The high ceilings and bright windows lit up the enormous work floor, making the place resemble more of an airport terminal than an office workspace.  Except, to Ana’s dismay, rather than seats and vending machines, the office is jampacked with tiny cubicles that crowded tightly around each other with litters of sketches and heaps of beta model testers piled all over the floor.

With barely any space to walk, Ana dodged aside for the 12th time, narrowly avoiding collision with yet another worker as he flew past them carrying armful of junk.  Aside from the rainbow-puke of messes, the flashing of strobe lights, and human projectiles, what Ana hated the most about this place were the noises, THE DAMN NOISES! Shuffling papers, loud buzzing chatters, the inconsistent droning of prototype testers....

*Clang!*

Ana flinched as someone hammered down on a piece of steel piping, the thunderous bangs echoed around the room. _'Ugh!'_  Ana thought, as she bit down hard on her bottom lip, feeling like she’s having a bad trip on acid,  _'End this damn tour already!'_

 _'Gotcha!'_  Mokuba grinned as he watched Ana became visibility irritated; shifting around uncomfortably, unable to mask her annoyance any longer.

 

* * *

 

 

"Forgive me for the intrusion," Mokuba said, as he and Ana stepped into the main lobby, "but what happened in the office today?"

"I'm.... not sure I follow."

"Your meeting with my brother... uh I mean Seto."

 _'And? So what?'_  Ana shrugged, "I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

 

"What does Seto mean by  _better luck next time_?” Mokuba interrogated.

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“What did you do?” he persisted, ignoring her request. 

"I… stared at him?" Ana replied with an upwards inflection, uncertain of what Mokuba was demanding of her. "You stared at him?" he repeated, "but why?" he continued, probing Ana out of his own curiosity, not many people can stand making direct eye contact with Seto, let alone star at him for prolonged periods of time. _'What's with this kid?'_   Ana groaned in her head, exasperated at his unrelenting persistence.

"Well let’s see, he's tall, handsome, intelligent, wealthy, athletic..." Ana went on and on sarcastically, listing the generic ingredients of a Disney prince charming, “...and I bet he smells nice too." She concluded, throwing all formalities out the window.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba," Ana continued, cutting Mokuba short before he could launch off into another tirade of questions, "I bet your brother gets stared at all the time. See! there's one right now." she said, pointing to a girl in her Kaiba Corp uniform, gawking at one of Seto's holograms, “Why don’t you try asking her instead?”

"Yeah, you're right, he does get stared at a lot," Mokuba agreed, dismissing her with a nod, "but I’ve never seen him stared at them back." he whispered to himself as Ana left the building.

 

* * *

 

 

"Good work Mokuba." Seto praised after hearing of the clever rouse Mokuba had devised on Ana. "Sure thing!" Mokuba answered, seeing as Seto has no time for dinner again, he tucked into his big brother's helping of rice and sashimi.

But Seto was unable to stay focused on the progress report before him, his thoughts keep drifting away back to the incident that had occurred this morning.  Although his encounter with Ana only lasted a brief moment, (as a matter of fact he's already forgotten her name), there's just something about this new intern that irked him deeply.

_'Doesn't she know who I am? Doesn't she know her place?'_

He thought, remembering how Ana disrespected him like he’s a nobody. Seto has never backed down from a challenge; be it the success of a business, a children's card game, or an impromptu staring competition.

 _'Was it a draw?'_   He questioned, second guessing his victory,

 _'No, I definitely won.'_   What if had Mokuba hadn’t interrupted?

 _‘I would’ve still won, the girl was practically crying the whole time!'_  

"Grrrr," Seto grumbled, wondering why he's so bothered by her. Mokuba glanced up from his dinner, intrigued by Seto's strange behavior.  The usually uber-focused young man now bore a vacant expression, his chin resting lightly over his loosely laced fingers. Despite their close relationship, Seto has never opened up about any of his personal interests to Mokuba.  He has always kept them concealed, often leading to misunderstandings between him, Mokuba and...well basically everyone else.  Like how his unwillingness to express brotherly affection had caused a rift between him and Mokuba while dealing with Noah.  Or fueling Joey’s resentment for him by endlessly taunting the poor puppy, but Seto only did it because he finds Joey Wheeler really funny.... funny because he's a sore loser, but still, funny.

 

"Hey big bro, what cha thinking about?" Mokuba asked, trying to sound casual, "Huh? What?" Seto answered absentmindedly.  "Is it the new intern? She's not that bad looking huh?" Mokuba continued, trying to breach the subject.  Eyes pensive, Seto struggled to remember what Ana's face looked like.  _‘Probably mediocre at best,’_ he thought. The only thing he could recall was her stare... and her long luscious eyelashes that batted gracefully, framing her sultry grey ey–.

"Who cares!" Seto said, snapping out of his daze "I've seen better."

 

His many misfortunes with members of the opposite sex in both his professional and personal life has taught Seto a very valuable lesson: the level of a woman's attractiveness is positively correlated to amount of bullshit he's going to have to deal with. 

That being said, Seto won’t object to entertaining the occasional fangirl or super model that managed to evade past his hotel security (only if they’re up to his stand of course). But most importantly, he welcomed the workout, because practice makes perfect after all.  But every girl he has ever been forced take out on dated with (you know, business associates, introducing him their daughters) either bored him to death, was scared to death of him, or were always vying for his attention like a pack of annoying, desperate ....

 _''What did Mokuba call them?'_ Seto wondered, looking up at his ceiling,

"Oh yeah, THOTs." he scoffed.

 

Finished for the evening, Seto closed his laptop and readied himself to leave. But upon seeing his little brother so entranced by whatever he's watching, Seto decided to join him on the couch instead. Siting with his legs crossed and arms lounging over the backrest, Seto thought of Ana again, "did Roland clear out the cubicle like I asked?" he suddenly remembered.

"Err yes." Mokuba answered distractedly.

"Good, we don't want her getting too comfortable now, don't we?


	5. Kill Bill

Ana was surprised to see Yugi Muto working in the Game Design and Theory department at Kaiba Corp, but then again, who else better? His most recent game, Spherium, launched to such an international success, even Kaiba can’t deny Yugi’s ingeniousness at designing puzzle related games.

“Um, I’m not sure why they sent you here,” Yugi said apologetically, scratching the back of his head, “but I’m sure we can find something for you to do, it’s a very busy department after all, ha-ha-ha-” he jabbered, more awkward than usual.

Resigning herself to this hellish fate, Ana stared on lifelessly as they worked their way through the maze of cubicles.  While Yugi, on the other hand, was totally unnerved by the zombified looking intern trailing behind him.  None of this makes sense! Why was she assigned to a department with zero experience whatsoever?  And why bother assigning her a workstation when the other interns are allocated to the peripheries of Kaiba Corp's labs and workrooms?

As they rounded the corner towards the center of the work floor, Ana’s thousand-yard stare narrowed into a vicious glare.

“This will be your workstation starting today,” Yugi said as he stopped next to a tiny 5-by-5-foot box. 

 _'Oh, I see how it is.’_ Ana seethed,

 _‘An intern being given center real-estate on Kaiba Corp’s design floor? Who are they playing at?’_   Thinking of the only person who could’ve to authorized something like this.“Seto fucking Kaiba.” Ana hissed under her breath.

"This s a high traffic area, so try to keep everything confined to your station." Yugi smiled as he handed Ana the keycard to her prison of a cubicle. _'Right,'_ She thought, observing the piles of junk rolling around her. "Absolutely, no problem Muto-san," she answered calmly, not wanting to get filed up over the assignment. "Eh, we're around the same age, call me Yugi," he corrected, "and sorry about the mess, it couldn't be helped." He apologized.

Having had professors for parents and a genius for a brother, Ana was well accustomed to the eccentricity of creative people, she grew up seeing litters of drafts and equations strew about her home.  But just because she’s used to it, it doesn’t mean she likes it.

“Oh! And Bill here is the floor manager for this department,” Yugi moved aside as a big, stocky man stepped forward, “he’ll help you to get everything started, feel free to find me if you have any questions.” He smiled.  

With little formal education and training, Bill manipulated his way up to his undeserving management position.  And unbeknownst to Ana, her new cubicle used to belong to the very man standing before her.  Having his prized cubicle, that he has long coveted, stolen away by some new intern, Bill Howe was itching to start inflicting some serious damage upon Ana.  

Seto was fully aware of Bill’s horrid reputation but made a last-minute decision to let him keep his managerial position knowing the hell this vile human being would unleash onto Ana for taking over his workstation. 

Isn’t this a bit too much? Keeping around a bad employee just to do your dirty work? Going all sorts of extra to retaliate against some poor little intern?

_’No, I’m Seto fucking Kaiba, nothing is too over the top for me.’_

* * *

 

 

Busy with the upcoming unveiling of the new Duel Disk-X system.  Seto had not seen Ana since their first unfortunate encounter.  Out of curiosity however, he would occasionally inquire about her. “She looks fine to me,” Yugi would reply, “She keeps to herself and doesn’t really talk to anyone, but she always finishes her work on time.  Bill does boss her around a lot though, I can tell him to stop before I leave if you’re worried abou-”

“That’s not necessary”

“Ok,” Yugi stopped, a little perplexed, “It’s so unlike you to ask about an intern Kaiba-kun, did she do something wrong?” 

“That’s none of your business Yugi.”

 

But in reality, Ana was exhausted beyond belief.  Bill’s incessant bullying and abuse was taking a huge toll on Ana’s usually more stable mental health.  The only satisfaction this loathsome asshat has in life is to exploit people and provoke some sort of response, any response, out of his victims.   Unwilling to surrender, Ana suffered in silence.  After almost collapsing from a lack of sleep after a grueling 40-hour work week (in addition to school and graduate research) she remained defiant, refusing to show any signs of weakness, not even to her own brother.  Besides, although Kaiba Corp is staffed with international employees, but in accordance to the Japanese work culture, it's still considered a taboo to complain about your superiors. 

 

* * *

 

 

The tired intern recoiled as another burst of laughter rang out from behind her, intermingled with the loud shuffling of jammed printers.  Closing her eyes for a moment, she groaned as she opens her eyes to the shadow of Bill fast approaching her workstation, ready to dish out one of his hourly “disciplinary” lectures regardless of her actual performance. 

“This is all wrong!” the sweaty man shouted loudly for everyone to hear, “Were you even listening? I told you exactly how I wanted this done! Aren’t you from MIT? Then why are you such an idiot?” He hollered, slamming a folder of loose-leaf files onto her shoulder, causing the contents to fly everywhere.  Apathetic to this hourly routine, Ana sat expressionless, facing her desk, rolling her eyes as she waited for him to finish.

Appearing to effortlessly breeze through the exceedingly difficult tasks set before her, Ana had unknowingly placed a target on her back.  It wasn’t only Bill that hated her, many of the department seniors disliked her as well, wondering how an intern could do something that had taken them years to learn.  But having to perform well outside of her field of expertise, Ana actually struggled a lot. She often went way beyond what was expected of her to just ensure her final product was perfect.

“You’re not going anywhere until you’ve fix this properly, and make sure you hand the other diagram in by 3 o-clock this afternoon!” Bill hollered as he walked away, gloating about his accomplishment. 

People looked on as Ana snatched the loose files of paper from the floor, sighing quietly to herself.  With Yugi gone and Kaiba turning a blind eye, no one was willing to risk their necks for the new intern.

 _‘No matter,’_ Ana though, peeking down as her wristwatch beeped quietly. Although cellphone use are banned on the workfloor, her AI pal, NERO, has been secretly recording Bill’s every temper tantrum, even managing to capture it on video it a couple times.  Knowing what she and Mikhail would do to the fool, Ana was waited patiently, not wanting to jeopardize her internship before taking her revenge.

[“I smell a lawsuit coming.”] NERO cheerfully chirped into her earbuds masked behind her hair,

_‘Well, I’m smelling blood.’_


	6. Clean Up on Aisle 36

Seto’s interest in Ana waned as his preoccupation with work took over.  Busy with yet another day of mundane errands, Seto turned his brain on autopilot, his mind glazing over as the sales reps presented a graph he’d already seen before.

“Mr. Kaiba, as you request, the sketches for the new building have been completed, would you like for them to be sent to your office?” Hiroka interrupted the meeting.  Seto, sapped of all motivation having sat through inspections and meetings all day, told Hiroka he would retrieve the sketches himself, wanting to stretch his legs before resuming his work for the evening.

 

* * *

 

 

Ana was staying late today, having to make up for the time she took off to study for an exam. The office was considerably quieter with only a few people working overtime, trying to meet whatever deadlines of their own. Having not slept well for days, Ana placed her head in her hands, taking a moment to regain her focus.

“Slacking off?”

Ana snapped awake, looking around for the source of the voice.

Meeting again, Seto and her eyes locked on instantly once more. Ana glared on with deadly determination. Seto grinned as they held each other’s gaze, watching at Ana’s pitiful attempt to intimidate him, almost passing off as cute with how serious she is trying to be.  “Shi-” Ana almost cursed as her vision began to falter; eyes tired from the non-stop late-night study sessions.

But unbeknownst to her, Seto too, was straining to keep his eyes open after having to meticulously comb over every detail of his latest mockup this morning.  His vision started to cloudy from staring at microscopic components all morning. 

“No!” Ana growled, yielding to her component; her eyes felt like they’re bleeding. “Hmph, I knew it.” Seto sneered, “you’ve disgraced yourself once more…. whatever your name is” he said dismissively while crushing the handle of his briefcase in his hands, trying to suppress his own pain. 

“Ha,” Ana mused quietly, wondering how she ended up in this ridiculous situation.  Standing up, she took a deep bow and looked into his icy blue eyes once more, noticing redness and inflammation.  “Oh? But you said you knew, Mr. Kaiba.” She smiled, “looks like you didn’t do enough research after all.”

“Well, not that it matters,” Seto scoffed, sporting his signature smirk, “I wouldn’t want to my waste brain cells on your pathetic existence anyways.”

 

“Of course not sir,” Ana continued, “apparently you enjoy wasting your time staring at me instead.”

“Because if I don’t watch you, you might slack off again.” Seto snickered.

“I’m just trying to fit in with the employees at Kaiba Corp’s that’s all.”

“Oh don’t worry, with the quality of crap you’ve been turning in? You’ll fit right in.”

“Are you trying to be funny Mr. Kaiba?” Ana frowned, very sensitive about people dissing her work.

 

“Must I show you?”

 

Seto sneered as he removed two pieces of paper from the folder tucked under his arm.  He laid the two nearly CAD diagrams neatly, side by side on her desk.  One was clearly rushed with lines all over the place, weird geometric dimension, and randomly scattered labels.  The other was professional looking with neatly drawn lines and correctly placed labels, the details obviously fine-tuned with finite element analysis software.

“This…” Ana muttered as she looked over the diagrams.  It was the same diagram Bill gave her this morning! With the order to have it fixed and submitted by the end of the day.

“This," Seto said, pointing to the messy drawing, "is the masterpiece you handed in. And this," he continued, pointing to the drawing beside it, "is what your manager had to do to fix it.”

Yesterday, late afternoon, Seto received a CAD diagram for the new building from the design department to review. And Bill, upon receiving a very angry phone call from his boss, decided to blame his poor workmanship on Ana.  And the next morning, after ordering Ana to fix his mistakes, he stole her work and passed it off as his own. 

 _'So this is why Bill wanted this done under his account name! That bastard!'_ Ana fumed.

“You are worse than the last idiot you replaced.” Seto scoffed, looking at her contemptuously as Ana’s eyes darted back and forth between the two drawings, frantically looking for any trace of her name or ID number to prove to Seto it was her work.

Content with how badly he seemed to have unnerved her, Seto slipped the neatly drawn diagram off her desk, placing it back into his folder.  “I’ll just give this back to you,” he sneered, tapping at the messy drawing on her desk, “so you can look at it every day and be reminded of what a failure you really are.” he laughed. Ana knew it was pointless to try and argue with him. Speechless, she held back her urge to cry out in frustration.  “I…. I…” she mumbled, lips trembling slightly as she looked up again into his glacial blue eyes.

Slightly confused, Seto ready and was waiting for one of Ana’s usual retorts, but she just stood there, looking at him.  Having rarely spoken to a girl this harshly before, Seto hesitated for a moment, wondering if he had crossed line, _‘whatever, who cares.’_ He thought as he rolled his eyes.  “Now that I’m done wasting my time,” he snarled, “I hope I don’t ever have to _stare_ at your pathetic work ever again.”

 

* * *

 

Finding the keys like Seto had asked, Mokuba walked towards the middle of the design floor, seeing Seto’s head of brown hair peeking above the cubical walls. “Here Seto.” Mokuba said as he neared the center, holding out the key in his hand. Looking around the corner, Mokuba noticed Ana gazing up at her brother, her expression wounded and exasperated.  “What’s going on here?” he asked. “Nothing, let’s go.” Seto snapped, taking the key into his own hands.

 

* * *

 

 

The brothers marched up onto the balcony of the design floor.  As Seto unlocked the drawer to retrieve Yugi’s design work, he couldn’t help but to wonder how the _oh-so-tough_ Ana was doing, after being chewed out by the infamous Seto Kaiba.   Giving in to his curiosity and a tiny smidgeon of guilt (intermingled with a sense of self-satisfaction for getting her back), Seto peered over the balcony onto the mess of cubicles below.

Ana sat idly at her desk in a state of catatonia, eyes downcast, her arms resting stiffly against either side the CAD drawing he had left on her desk.

“Ana! What are you still doing here?!”  Hearing some commotion, Bill marched out of his office, staying late only as an excuse to bill his boss for overtime. Seto watched as the middle-aged man stomped his way across the floor, heading straight towards Ana’s workstation.

"What the hell is this?" Bill growled, snatching up the CAD drawings from her desk. "Are you serious?" He shouted, face growing red with rage, "I thought I told you to finish this before 4:30 and put it Kaiba's dropbox! What is wrong with you? Do you WANT me to look bad?" He chucked the pile of drawings onto  Ana's head, one of the sharp edges sliced into her skin, giving her a slight paper cut on the back of her cheek.  Ana, clinched her fits and Ana looked up slowly, smiling at him with an expression of pure malice.

Stunned by the spectacle before him, Seto’s stood with his mouth open, unsure if he should be outraged or entertained by Bill's outburst.

“Now you’ve done it!” Bill continued, knowing he’ll be getting an earful from his boss again tonight.  Kicking her desk, he pulled her chair around to face him, his face almost touching hers.  “How the hell did you get hired here huh?  Just because you think you’re pretty?  How the hell did YOU get my workstation?”  Bill screamed into Ana’s face. Enraged by her lack of response, he grabbed Ana’s mouth. “Whose dick did you have to suck-”

In a split second before Seto or Mokuba could react, Ana punched him hard across the face, knocking the man off his feet (along with a few teeth).

“Seto-Kaiba’s-Dick-You-Dumbass-Mother-Fucker!” she panted, knowing full well that’s what Bill was after, landing punch after punch on his face with every word.  “And-He-Liked-It!” she yelled, kicking him back down as he tried to get up.

As the man writhed on the floor, moaning with pain. Seto, unable to contain it any longer, tilted his head back and roared with uncontrollable laughter. As the sound of gleeful laughter rang out from above, echoing around the now empty room, Ana jumped up, started. With her adrenaline still pumping, she looked around the room, ready to deal out another ass-beating.

Looking up, Ana was shocked to see perpetually stoic Kaiba doubled over, holding onto Mokuba’s shoulders, laughing like there’s no tomorrow.  In stark contrast to his younger brother who just stared on in utter bewilderment.

Rolling her eyes, Ana ignored Seto and grabbed Bill by his collar. Dragging him up to face her, she lowered her voice, “If I ever see or hear from you again, I will have you fucking murdered in your sleep.” Ana hissed, before chucking him back into the ground.

Collecting her stuff, Ana marched out of the office looking straight ahead without as much as a single glance at her cackling boss.

“Roland,” Seto called into his earpiece between fits of laughter, “clean up on aisle 36.”


	7. Oh Hiroka

“So did…. did you and her…” Mokuba stammered as the plane took off. 

It was quite alarming to see the eternally calm and composed Ana fly into a sudden blind rage over Bill's comment.  Even more terrifying, however, was his brother’s fit of hysterics, a moment of unrestrained levity so rare coming from Seto that Mokuba genuinely feared for his life.    

“Drop it Mokuba,” Seto said, not looking up from his book, a faint smirk forming on his lips.

 

Bill was fired that very evening.  Between the hush money Seto provided (along with a generous amount of black mailing), and Mikhail’s ties with the local Yakuza, Bill Howe disappeared quietly from Ana’s life, never to be heard from again.

Although the Kaiba brothers are out of country for the next few days, Ana still stayed away from the areas Seto frequented, but just as a precaution. It’s bad enough having to stop Mikhail from going after Kaiba, _“Why didn’t he step in sooner!?”_  Mikhail shouted over the phone, Ana had no patience to deal with her boss’s irritating remarks as well. 

Without her knowledge, Seto had given specific instructions that no one is allowed to give Ana orders except for Yugi and himself. 

 _It’s all part of his way to hush this up I suppose,”_ Ana assumed, suddenly finding herself unburdened by the usual stream of menial tasks that accompanied Bill’s stench.  With Ana’s unofficial promotion, she had found herself transferred to a workstation on the balcony, finally insulated from the hustle and bustle of the cubicles below. _‘_ _He’s up to something again.’_ she thought, thinking back to the last time Seto had given her a “prime” work location. _‘I’ll have to start checking for bombs under my desk.’_

These drastic changes made by Seto hadn’t gone unnoticed by the employees at Kaiba Corp.  Now with a rumor circulating about her and the boss, Ana’s plan to stay under the radar flew right out the window. 

_‘Someone must’ve heard me shouting… about…dammit!.’_

Ana slammed her head on the desk, regretting how that single moment of lack of restraint was costing her.  Steadying her shaky hands, Ana vowed to never let her emotions get out of control like that again.

 

* * *

 

“Sweet Baby Jesus!” Hiroka shrilled as she sprinted towards Ana. “Oh thank god someone's here.” She panted, catching her breath.

“Why hello Mrs. Hiroka, uh let me find go some help for you.” Ana said politely, inching away trying to escape the crazed woman.

“No, I’m fine. I’m fine… No No! Not fine!” Hiroka stammered, “Please, you have to help me, they’ve all gone home for the weekend, and no one… they’re busy….” She pleaded.

“Well, the janitor is here. Ha.” Ana chuckled, a very inappropriately timed joke.

“My boy is in the hospital, …an accident … field trip, my husband is out of town, Mr. Kaiba is flying back tonight for the exhibition, and I… deliver the documents. but …but my boy...” Hiroka whimpered on and on, looking at her in desperation. "Anna, I mean Ana, right? Please, please will you help me."

 _‘Ah shit… well there goes my evening.’_ Despite her reluctance, Ana took pity upon the poor woman after being on the receiving end of Seto's wrath herself.

“Ok ok fine, I’ll deliver them for you, just tell me where.” Ana said holding up the sobbing mother.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!” Hiroka cried, squeezing Ana’s hands.  “You’ll have to change before you go, quickly now!” Hiroka shouted pulling Ana towards the lobby.  As they waited for the elevator, Hiroka took out her key card “This should give you access to my office, please don’t tell anyone about this and please don’t do anything stupid tonight,” She implored, “I’m trusting you with this.”

 

*Ding* the elevator door opened

“Take the brown briefcase on my desk, the invitation is next to the keyboard, and take my dres-”

*Ding*

Hiroka was cut short as the elevator doors closed.

 

 _‘Did she really just hand me her key card?’_ Ana grinned as she ascended the to the top floor,

 _‘Sure, I won’t do anything nothing foolish tonight,’_ She chuckled, sliding Hiroka’s door open, ‘ _but she didn’t say anything about later!’_

Ana spotted a small brown briefcase sitting on Hiroka’s desk.   Unable to find the invitation, Ana extracted the information she needed from a scribble of chicken scratch on a memo pad.  “Regency Park Hotel, Ginza.” Ana relayed, as she attempted to change into Hiroka’s dress. [“42 minutes from departure with current traffic conditions.”]  NERO reported, [“we might make be able to make it.”]

With her apartment only minutes away from the Regency, Ana gave up on Hiroka’s frilly complicated dress, and decided to just wear her own instead.  _What the heck is in here?'_ She wondered, feeling the weight of the dense brief case.

Already 20 minutes behind schedule, Ana sped down the quiet highway as she hummed to herself. “♬ Karma- Karma-Karma-Karma-Chameleeeoooon” she smiled, already cashing in credits for the day.  Next to her, NERO busied himself with Hiroka’s key card, [“Copying - 90% Complete.”], as he replicated a digital rendition of the hardware along with every line of code. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Where is Hiroka?” Seto hissed, wondering how Ana snuck in without an invitation. 

“She had an emergency, sir.” “What emergency?” “I don’t know.” “Dammit!”

Ana’s vagueness infuriated Seto, just as she had intended.  

 

The guests assembled in the entrance lobby, anticipating the official grand opening of the exhibition party. 

Determine to ignore the existence of everyone near him, Seto leaned against the wall, one heel resting on bottom of the wall trim as he crossed his arms.

“Don’t touch me.” he snapped, suddenly pushing Ana away with the back of his arms.  “Must be horrible having to wait with the rest of us peasants huh?” Ana mocked, after he knocked her into a drunken greaseball of a businessman she’d been avoiding this whole time.

“At least you know your place now.”

 

* * *

 

A blast of cool air chilled through lobby as the doors finally opened to the enormous ballroom ahead. “Oh look, your favorite!” Ana chirped, pointing to a miniature Egyptian display; an inverted pyramid made of bronze that bore great likeness to the one Seto dug up a few years ago.  

_‘Did she just?’_

"Isn't it?" Ana smiled, teasing Seto, knowing full well his bitter history with Yugi, Ishizu, Marik and those darn millennium items they kept yapping about during Battle City finals.

 

* * *

 

“Give me that,” Seto snapped, snatching the briefcase out of Ana’s hands as they neared their assigned table.

“Oh Kaiba-boooy, tsk tsk, must I teach you?” a voice wafted as Seto and Ana looked up in unison. “Always so harsh with the ladies my boooy, don’t you know these delicate little roses can be easily,” the man snickered as he flicked his finger onto on his wine glass, “-shattered?”

“Pegasus.”

“At your service, hmm-hmm-hm.”

 

Seto’s lips curled, 

“I think you’re in the wrong place Pegasus; the daycare center is downstairs.”

 

“HUHP!” Ana snorted loudly, covering her mouth with her free hand to stifle the laughter. 

 

“What?” demanded Seto,

“Nothing sir, nothing.” 

“Oh loooook, Kaiba-boy, you scared the poor thing!” Pegasus cooed, feigning a piteous expression.

“Not as much as your face has, let’s go.” Seto ordered, leaving a chuckling Pegasus behind. 

 

_‘What the hell is so funny?’_

Seto wondered as Ana walked beside him, pursing her lips to hold in her giggles.

_‘She’s gone insane!’_

No one has ever found any of his insults remotely amusing, except for the chuckle here and there from Mokuba.

_‘Whatever, I’m funny.'_

 

* * *

 

 

“Bonjour Monsieur Kaiba, Comment vas-tu?”,   “Bien, j'espère que tu vas bien aussi.”

“凯巴先生，好久不见!”,   “李先生你好.”

 _"Impressive,'_   Ana thought as Seto showed off his expansive repertoire of languages. Gotta hand it to him, it takes balls to attend such a large international event by by one's self without toting around a translator. It’s not like Hiroka would’ve been much assistance, seeing how she struggled with Ana’s last name. 

 

Setting aside any biasness from their personal conflicts, Ana steadied herself against a wall.  Being a good scientist, Ana wanted to observe her boss with objectivity.  As she watched form the sidelines, Ana scrutinized Seto's every word and movement.  Like cracking open one of her research experiments, she wanted to see if there's more to the guy what's obviously been put on display.  As she analyzed the man before her, she struggled to see beyond his prudishness, insistence, and coldness.  But for young Seto to have achieved already in such a short amount of time, there must be something else hiding beneath all of that apparent assholery....

Whatever that is, Ana gladly looked on, finding this piece of eye candy's confidence (or cockiness depending on how one looks at it) actually quite, sexy.

 _'Oh this is fun.'_ she grinned,  _' Seto Kaiba, I'm going to figure you out.'_

 _‘That’s right peasant,’_ Seto sneered as he looked back at Ana, mistaking her inquisitive stare for awe, _‘gawk at me like the rest of them.’_

 

 

 “What the...?”  A familiar voice suddenly materialized behind them.

 _‘Mikhail!’_ Ana and Seto thought in unison.


	8. Sold!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Graceful Charity did an ammmazing sketch of Seto and Ana for this chapter *squeeel*; see if you can figure out which scene it's from :D
> 
> Please check out her art work out here (https://imgur.com/M D a z B a S)  
> There are no spaces between the letters in the URL, it's just there just in case AO3 doesn't allow links to be posted.

Mikhail was stunned and confused by the sight before him.  Stepping in front of his gorgeous entourage of models, Mikhail looked back and forth between his younger sister and his childhood rival.  

“What are yo-” Mikhail begin, but was cut short as an older man bellowing from across the room, “ميخائيل وكيبة! كيف حالكم؟” the man laughed, marching over to shake Seto and Mikhail’s hands. “سيد الأنصاري ، سعيد جدًا لرؤيتك أيضًا (nice to see you too Mr. Ansari).” Mikhail smiled, greeting him like an old friend.  Seto tensed as Mr. Ansari looked to him, waiting for a response. 

“السيد كيبا سعيد برؤيتكم سيدي. (Mr. Kaiba is happy to see you sir).” Ana jumped in, not wanting Seto to lose face. “هذا جيد! (That’s great!).” roared the oil tycoon, striking up a conversation with the two young CEOs, as his own interpreter had finally caught up.

 

[ _What are you doing here?_ ] Ana texted as Ansari distracted Seto, busy pushing one of his daughters on him. [ _You tell me! What are you doing here with him? Didn't you see my name on the invitation?_ ] Mikhail asked, wondering how Ana went from intern to secretary in only a matter of weeks. [ _I couldn’t find the damn invitation._ _I’ll explain later, and don’t blow my cover!_ ] Ana warned, not wanting give Seto the gratification of knowing he bullied his rival’s little sister.

 

“Tell him we are dating.” Setp ordered as he motioned Ana over; his voice angry while his face remained impassive. Ana furrowed her brows. “Do it!” he glared, hissing into her ear.  As she translated, Ana could feel the resentment exuding from the father and daughters as their eyes narrowed, looking down at her as if she was vermin: their third attempt for a match-up with Seto Kaiba had gone awry.

 

Seto turned slowly, facing Ana she bid goodbye to the suitors, gloating at their disappointment. His eyes glowering as he towered over her, shrouding her with his shadow.  Ana greeted his glare with the same gloating expression.  Then, with one eyebrow raised, she mockingly returned the stare, smiling to herself knowing she had spoken without his permission, and more importantly, had bested him in front of company.

 

 

“Why so serious?” Mikhail said jokingly, but his eyes menacing.  No one threatens his baby sister. 

“What do you want Scholtz?” Seto growled, not taking his eyes off Ana.  

Although the siblings may share the same hair color, they do not share a common last name; a ploy by Mikhail to distant himself from Ana, to keep her out of any potential dangers of being associated with him. 

"Didn't your old man teach you any manners? It's rude to look away when someone is talking."

"What do you want?" Seto repeated, transferring his glare onto Mikhail. 

The small group of onlookers gathered around as they continued to glare at each other.  Men crossed their arms and looked on with interest as the two formidable businessmen readied for battle, a showdown to the likes of Batman vs  Bruce Wayne.  The women gushed at the two handsome young men, wishing they were the center of their dispute.

 

 

Seto’s takeover of Kaiba Corp and the launch of _MoSAIC_ occurred within just 2 months of each other.  Although there was no conflict of interest business wise, the media loved pitting the two handsome, intelligent, and not to mention obscenely wealthy CEOs against each other.  For that reason, the two hot-headed and arrogant young men have always been each other’s throats, refusing to submit to one another.  “To protect a man’s pride,” as Mikhail would say. “More like a by-proxy dick size competition.” Ana would jab right back.  Their childish rivalry extended far beyond what she thought was professionally and financially acceptable: Kaiba makes a deal with Industrial Illusions, Mikhail signs a military contract with the U.S. government; Mikhail procures an exclusive island, Kaiba blows up his own exclusive island; _MoSAIC_ releases a hypersonic jet, Kaiba gets a blue-eyes white dragon jet; Kaiba builds a space elevator; Mikhail purchases the international space station.  

 

 

“I see that you're looking a little empty over there Seto, just wanted to see if you'd like to borrow one of mine.” Mikhail provoked as each of his arms wrapped around a model.  Ana twitched in disgust as the two models started pecking her bother on the cheek, their hands resting on his chest.

Without warning, Ana was jerked forward as Seto tugged her by the shoulder, slamming her against his body. He gripped onto her tightly, pulling her close as she stumbled from the sudden action, all the while whiling looking non-nonchalantly at Mikhail. “Don’t you know the first rule of business Scholtz?” Seto smirked as he wrapped his arm tightly around Ana's waist, “Quality over quantity.”  

Dumbfounded, Ana remained still as her brain tried to process very un-Kaiba-like thing that had just transpired. 

Mikhail launched forward without thinking and grabbed his sister’s arm, yanking her away from Seto.  Seto laughed, placing his hands in his pockets “looks like I’ll be the one doing the lending tonight.” he sneered.  “What did you just sa-” Mikhail moved forward, fist at the ready.  Ana rushed between them, mouthing silently at her brother, imploring him to stop.  “Once again Scholtz, I win.” Seto sneered, dragging Ana away. 

 

* * *

 

 

“You know him?” Seto asked darting a dirty look at the slightly inebriated Mikhail as they filed into the auditorium for the after-dinner charity auction.  Sick of always having to pick up after Mikhail’s outbursts, Ana answered dismissively, “we’re former schoolmate sir.” “In the same Arabic class?” Seto asked. His lack of ability to convey Arabic didn't preclude him from picking up the subtle differences in people’s intonations. Looking dead ahead, Ana answered, "perhaps" trying to hide her smile, being thoroughly impressed for the second time by her boss tonight. 

 

The auction was held by the famous Christie’s Auction House and had the usual assortment of antiques and trinkets; a recently discovered painting by Leonardo DaVinci, which Ana highly doubted its authenticity; a dinner menu that survived the sinking of Titanic; an imperial jade ring that once belonged to a Qing dynasty emperor, etcetera-etcetera.  And to improve their client's privacy protection, the bidding was conducted using an electronic system through a discrete handheld clicker device. 

As the auction started, Mikhail would shout randomly over the auctioneer, throwing out stupid puns and jokes for everyone’s amusement.  His antics made him look like a spoiled rich brat, but Ana knew better. This was her brother’s way of disarming people; these egotistical business types are much more susceptible to manipulation when they think they have the upper hand. However, Mikhail can get carried away sometimes, and tonight is one of those.

“I have ten thousand here, ten thousa-, fifty thousand, fifty thousand.” The auctioneer buzzed as Mikhail started outbidding Seto over an ultra-rare limited-edition duel monsters card (privacy protection or not, it's kind of obvious Seto would be the one bidding on the card).

"Hey Kaiba! Sweetheart!” Mikhail shouted from three tables ahead, “I can go all night long baby,” he smiled, holding his clicker in the air for everyone to see, adding another $10,000 to the bid.  The patrons laughed as they watched on with great fascination; it’s such a rare sight to witness someone taunting Seto Kaiba so openly.

On the other hand, wishing it to be over already, Ana soon tired of the childish bidding war her brother had started.  Raising her hand as if to brush her hair, Ana whispered into her bracelet [“NERO, tell the idiot to stop.”].  At once, Mikhail glanced at his vibrating wristwatch and turned to meet Ana's eyes.

 _‘Look away dammit!’_  Her eyes widened at the half drunken Mikhail, fearing Seto would notice this silent exchange between the two of them.

“Alright alright, you can have your card Kaiba." Mikhail jeered as raised his hands in the air. "Make sure to give it a good-night kiss for me after you’re done making love to it tonight.” he laughed, dropping his clicker on the dinner table to signal cease fire.  

[“ _Oh don’t worry Scholtz, I’ll tuck her in real nice._ ”] Seto sneered as he sent Mikhail this message. Clearly, Seto had mistaken Mikhail’s brotherly affections towards Ana as that of an ex-lover’s jealous rage.  Seto leaned back, crossed his legs and draped his arms over the back of Ana’s chair, smirking as Mikhail’s shot him a poisonous glare. 

 

 

While the boys were busy with their petty fighting.  Ana was transfixed at the final item on display. 

“The final piece for the night, the _Boissier-Sarasate_ , a marvelous piece of artwork of superb craftsmanship.” The auctioneer continued as his assistant carefully lifted a beautifully varnished violin from a equally intricate wooden case with her gloved hands. “A wonderful piece of history crafted by the house of Antonio Stradivari, year 1690.” The assistant walked around gracefully as she held the violin for the audience to see. “One of the only two Stradivarius that belonged to the famed Spanish musician Pablo de Sarasate." He concluded.  "The bidding starts at $10 million.”

The numbers soared instantly as people started to bid. “$10.5 million, $10.8 million, $12 million!” the auctioneer struggled to keep pace.  Ana stomped her foot lightly in exasperation as she looked frantically at the back of her older brother’s head. _‘Come on! Look at your phone!! Pick up the clicker!’_ she pleaded as Mikhail ignored her attempts in earnest, thinking it’s another string of insults by Seto.  “$14 million going once! $14.5 million!”  the bidding slowed as patrons began to drop off.  Unable to contain her frustration, Ana lurched backwards as the auctioneer shouted “- going twice!”, not realizing she had knocked Seto’s arm off in the process. 

In dire desperation, Ana almost grabbed Seto’s clicker on impulse but restrained herself once she saw that the blasted thing was tightly clutched in his other hand.  Peeking up at his face, Ana was irritated by Seto’s blasé expression as he conversed quietly with the person next to him. 

“Sold! $17.3 million! That’s a new record ladies and gentlemen!” The auctioneer beamed as the audience cheered.  Ana slumped forward and bit her lip in bitter disappointment. She’s been dying to have her own Stratovarius ever since seeing one at her first violin recital 15 years ago.  It's a such shame that exclusive item like this are rarely put up for sale.  More often it's passed down within a family from one generation to the next.  Try as she might, but even with all the money in the world, Ana had been unsuccessful in her attempt to find one for sale until tonight.

* * *

 

At Seto’s behest, Ana walked silently to the back of the auction room, wondering if she had cashed her karma credits a little to early.   _‘No doubt they would’ve listed the items on there.’_ she sighed, wishing she had searched harder for Hiroka’s invitation. 

Ana forced a polite smile as she handed the broker Seto’s small briefcase of cash.  “Please inform Mr. Kaiba that he is to expect a delivery at his place of residence on Monday morning between the hours of 8:00 and 9:00AM.” the broker informed in a monotone voice as he handed Ana a slip of paper, some sort of receipt. 

 

“What took you so long? I told you 10 minutes 20 minutes ago.” Seto asked impatiently as they met at the front lobby.  Ana lingered backstage, busy looking for the person who won the bid. She hoped that in finding them, she can bargain for the item with a better offer.  But her search was fruitless, hindered by the hordes of people constantly inquiring her about her relationship with the two feuding CEO's.

 

“My apologies sir, it was very crowded, here’s your slip.” she said, handing Seto the piece of paper.  “What the hell am I going to do with that?  Give it to Hiroka.” He ordered as they proceeded to the back entrance, avoiding the fans and the paparazzi.

 

 

As they exited through the back door, Ana spotted a drunken Mikhail driving towards her apartment , no doubt crashing there for the night. 

"Use your head for a second, would anyone let their date go home in a cab?” Seto said, rejecting Ana's attempt to find another ride home. “Well, yes…” Ana replied as Ansari’s daughters drove past in their barbie pink Rolls-Royce, “all the time.”.

“That’s absurd.”

 

Seto and Ana stood silently in the falling snow as they waited for the limo near the back gate.  They were in such a hurry to leave that Ana had left her jacket behind.  Feeling dejected over the violin, Ana even didn’t feel her body temperature plummet as the snowfall intensified. 

 _‘Serves you right.’_ Seto thought, looking at Ana’s snow-covered head, her thin black dress barely covering her upper body.

 

“Where the hell is Roland?” Seto snapped as Ana started to shiver in the frigid night air.  Unwilling to return inside knowing the lobby would be swarming with paparazzi by now, Seto begrudgingly took off his overcoat and draped it over Ana’s shoulders. 

Her shivers subsided instantly. Ana closed her eyes as she bathed in the soothing warmth, inhaling deeply, she grinned.

 _‘I was right, he does smell good.’_  


	9. Better Luck Next Time

Roland arrived in Seto's Lamborghini Urus at the back gate, rambling on about having to retrieve the backup car because the paparazzi had spotted the limo earlier.  As usual, Seto wasn’t interested in hearing any excuses and brushed off Roland as he hurried down towards waiting car.  Noticing her boss’s quickened pace, Ana followed suit, wondering if the coatless Seto was rushing because he was trying to get away from the cold.  She was no doubt grateful for his kind gesture, but to her, it also means owing him a favor she didn’t ask for.  Hurrying towards the car in her 5-inch heels, Ana carefully maintained her balance and trained her eyes to the ground as the blizzard billowed around her.  With the car just up ahead, Ana reached for the handle but stopped midway when she realized Seto was already waiting with the car door open.  Ana slipped in and muttered a reluctant “thank you,” but not before the door was slammed shut in her face.

Outside, Ana could see Seto’s silhouette disappear as he walked back towards the hotel with Roland following close behind.  He was carrying another suitcase, this time bigger than the one she had brought with her.  As they reached the back landing, the two men were quickly joined by a third, who Ana was sure would be Pegasus, judging by his flouncy hair and dramatic body language, and the two men exchanged briefcases after a hesitant handshake.

A limo pulled up beside the Urus, presumably Pegasus’s ride as he followed Seto back outside.  Upon seeing Ana in the backseat wrapped tightly in Seto’s overcoat, Pegasus sniggered and opened her door.  “Look at you Kaiba-booy!  I’m surprised!” he winked knowingly at the silent Seto, “Going through aaaall this trouble just for her? Tsk tsk, but I guess she IS worth every bit of it after all.” he said, looking Ana up and down.  “Mind your own damn business.” Seto snapped, his cheeks flushing pink, which Ana would have attributed to the cold…or perhaps from something else?

“I’m going to have to start calling you _lover_ -boooy from now on. Oh! I’ve taught you well.” “Perhaps Mr. Kaiba can return the favor and teach you some manners,” Ana interjected, reaching for the door handle, “don’t you know things _shatter_ -” Ana mimicked, flicking some snow at Pegasus, “-easier in the cold?” and slammed the door shut.  Seto scoffed, amused by Ana’s comment. “Put it in the trunk,” he ordered Roland as he pushed past Pegasus, “and make sure the heat is on.” Seto’s voice crescendoed as he re-approached the car, darting a glare at the finger wagging Pegasus as they drove away.  

 

“Where to Mr. Kaiba?” Roland inquired, but his eyes were looking to Ana in the rearview mirror. Taking Seto’s silence as her cue, “Kaiba Corp.” she said, not wanting them to see Mikhail’s car in her driveway.  Besides, Ana wanted to test out the counterfeit access card before having to surrender it back to Hiroka.  Garnering no more than a quick frown from Seto, Roland took off without any objections. 

The 45 minute ride dragged on for 80 minutes as the car navigated through the snowstorm.  Ana welcomed the complete silence after being subjected to the obnoxiously loud chatter and music from the dinner earlier.  Pegasus’s taunts had not escaped her either. What did he meant by her being _worth it_ and Seto going through _all this trouble_ , what trouble? The trouble of giving her a ride? _‘It would be a first for someone like him, at least that I know of.’_ Ana giggled to herself as she envisioned the headlines tomorrow _Front-Page News: Seto Kaiba Seen Cavorting with Kaiba Corp’s Latest MIT Intern in the Backseat.  _

_‘Yeah, let’s hope not.’_

 

As the car passed under a well-lit tollbooth, a flash of black and white caught the attention of Ana’s eyes.  A palm-sized metal chessboard sat on the car’s center console with tiny magnetized onyx and ivory chess pieces scattered on top.  Ana leaned in slowly for a closer look at the exquisitely carved pieces, not wanting to draw any attention to her interest.  The chess match was so close to completion; just one more move by the black knight and it’ll be check, and another move by the bishop and it’ll be checkmate. Unless the opponent’s queen goes for the bishop first, but then the player can counter that by advancing their castle to check instead.  Suddenly, remembering the current reigning World Chess Championship champion is sitting in this very car, Ana looked over eagerly, wanting to ask Seto for a quick match.  To her dismay, he was sitting as far away from her as he could, looking out the window, arms crossed, obviously not wanting any disturbance. But what are the chances of ever being trapped in a long car ride with the youngest chess grandmaster in history again?  She had already lost out on a Stradivarius this evening; would she let another golden opportunity slip through her fingers tonight?  Ana opened her mouth as she extended her hand towards Seto.  Hovering over his arm, she suddenly retracted; once again, her stubborn pride trumping over her intense curiosity.  _‘Anyone but him,’_ unwilling to disclose her admiration for his skillful chess play openly, Ana closed her mouth and shook her head, passing on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

* * *

 

Ana’s moment of hesitation was captured by the snow reflected window, giving Seto a clear view of the Urus’ interior.  From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ana reached out for him but then quickly retracted and re-bundled herself in his jacket and resumed her lookout through the window.  With nothing else to occupy his mind, Seto questioned about how he ended up in this strange predicament.  

_‘It’s all her fault.’_

The reason why he offered Ana a ride was so he wouldn’t look bad in front of other guests, but why the hell did he insist on giving her a lift all the way to Kaiba Corp when he could’ve just kicked her out as soon as they’re far enough from the venue? Why did he give her his jacket when he hates the cold himself?  What’s her deal with the Stradivarius? Does she play the violin? What other languages does she speak? Why is she sniffing his coat with her eyes closed like a weirdo? 

Seto glanced down at the center console and saw one of the black chess pieces has been repositioned, _‘hmmm, check, clever move.’_ he acknowledged. Ana must’ve moved it when he wasn’t looking.  Without much thought, Seto reached over and moved a white chess piece to check the opponent’s King.  He looked over to Ana, almost wishing she had noticed, wanting her to participate.  But to his disappointment, she sat as she did before, facing away from him as she stared out at the barren white landscape. 

Undeterred, Seto continued to look at Ana with interest.  After all, she was the first girl who had ever (whith the exception of those lunatics from Yugi and Wheeler’s so-called fan-clubs _‘If you can even call it that.’_ ) to react so indifferently to his touch, let alone a hug from him. 

At this moment, Ana, not taking her eyes off the scenery, tucked her hair behind her ears.  A small pinkish scar barely visible under her makeup could be seen streaked across the back of her cheek; Bill’s souvenir on the night he hurled the CAD diagrams at her face. Seto smiled, remembering Ana’s appropriate, but hilariously violent, response to Bill’s outburst.  This also reminded him of the time Gozaburo threw Seto’s Kaiba-Land blueprints back in his face, except, of course, he handled it much better than she did. 

Observing quietly, Seto mentally retracted his previous statement to Mokuba regarding Ana’s mediocrity.  As much as he’d hate to admit it, Seto enjoyed her company; she’s obviously got some brains on her, and she’s clearly not afraid to retaliate against his insults. Indeed, she even seemed to find a select few funny apparently. To top it off, her natural beauty is greatly complimented by her unique enigmatic personality and her intelligence.  No wonder even Mikhail, one of the world’s most notorious playboys, couldn’t seem to maintain his composure around her.

 

* * *

 

“We’re here Mr. Kaiba.” Roland announced, interrupting Seto’s thoughts.  “Hmm? Yeah.” he stumbled; suddenly aware he’s been staring at her intently this whole time.  She looked back at him, her head cocked slightly to the side. “Would you like for me to take anything back to the office sir?” she asked as she removed his jacket and retrieved her clutch. “You have access to my office?” Seto asked sharply, snapping back to reality. “No, but I can if you’d like for me to.” Ana batted her eyelashes as she bit the bottom corner of her lip, jokingly flirting with him.  “Get out of my car.”

“As you wish.” Ana smiled. Getting her hands on Hiroka’s card was a fluke, but getting the boss-man’s card was going to take a lot more effort.  As Ana bowed, she suddenly spotted the rearranged chess pieces, _‘Ah ha! Just like I predicted!’_ without hesitation, she learned over and moved the bishop in place, inadvertently giving Seto a generous view of her nice supple cleavage. “Checkmate!” she beamed, mistaking his blushing cheeks for anger. Ana playfully tossed Seto’s coat onto his lap as she stepped out of his car, “Thank you for the ride sir.”  followed by a deliberate glance at her winning chess match, “Oh!" she said dramatically, pretending to have remembered something of great importance, "Better luck next time,  _Kaiba_.” She emphasized, “Oyasuminasai (Good Night) Kaiba-Sama!” Before the now thoroughly flustered Seto could respond, Ana shut the door as Seto had done to her before, grinning from ear to ear as she strolled from Kariba Corp’s parking garage to the interior elevator.


	10. Baby It's Cold Outside

The largely unoccupied building echoed with the clacking of Ana’s heels as she marched towards one of Kaiba Corp’s less frequented elevators.  A winter weather warning had been issued, forecasting the crazy blizzard to last overnight.  In accordance with the federal law, Kaiba Corp, like all other business, dismissed their workers to mitigate the risk of injuries from traveling in hazardous conditions.  With only a few employees remaining behind for emergencies, Ana had no trouble navigating through the building unseen. A digital clone of her was doctored to appear at her workbench using the latest imaging synthesis program, Deepfake.  And through a little manipulation of Kaiba Corp’s closed-circuit security monitor system, the path from the parking garage to Hiroka’s office was full proof against any recording or detection.

Knowing she wouldn’t be seen, Ana did a little celebratory dance as the card reader accepted the fake.  Quickly stowing it away, she took the same path back towards the parking deck where her backup car was waiting.

* * *

 

“Hey! Hold On!” Mokuba pounded on Ana’s driver’s side window as she started reversing out of her parking spot, causing her to slam on her breaks.  “Evening, Mr. Kaiba.” She greeted unenthusiastically as she rolled down her window, having hit her quota for unexpected surprises for the evening. “Where do you live?” Mokuba demanded, the hoarseness in his voice made it sound a little harsher than he intended. _‘First Hiroka, then Kaiba, then Mikhail, now Kaiba Jr.? What have I done to deserve this?’_ Ana tilted her head back in defeat, the kid obviously wants to ask for a ride.  “My address is listed in the employee directory sir.”  She answered, not wanting to get roped in to yet another obligation.  Mokuba shivered as a gust of wind blew past him, he wondered how he’s going to persuade her for a ride.  As a firsthand witness to Bill’s painful demise, he knew pulling the boss-card will only result in Ana’s anger. Besides, Mokuba knew she wouldn’t buy into his _I will have you fired_ tactic.  And, judging by her car, a Bentayga Mulliner, offering her financial compensation was probably out of the question as well.

A small voice rang out from Ana’s car speakers _[“…has to move the bishop to 3 instead of moving the rook, Kaiba’s strategic placement from the last move has put Carlsen in a huge disadvantage…”]_ upon hearing the commentary, Mokuba immediately recognized it as a replay of last year’s world chess championship (WCC for short), and knew what he had to do.  “I know this is sudden, but I really need a lift home. Roland is the one who usually picks me up, but I forgot he’s driving my brother tonight.” “I-” “and I’ll get you a ringside ticket to this year’s WCC if you do.” He added quickly before Ana could protest.  For seasoned competitors, it’s customary for them to be gifted 2 complimentary VIP tickets to the championship match, but with only Mokuba there to cheer him on, Seto’s second ticket always went to waste.  _‘First of all, damn this kid is sharp_ , _second of all_ -’ “The event is fully booked and less than a week away, how are you going to get an extra ticket?” Ana furrowed her brows, skeptical of Mokuba’s offer.   But he was already pulling out his phone to show Ana his e-tickets.  “Deal, get in.” Ana unlocked the door and the teen quickly hopped inside.

“I can’t believe I had to bribe my employee just to give me a ride.” Mokuba said, buckling his seatbelt, “were you just going to let me freeze out there?” he whined as he placed his phone on her dashboard while the GPS calculated the best route to take to avoid any accidents from the inclement weather.  “I never said that, you came to that conclusion on your own.”  Ana smiled, turning on her snow traction.  Thankfully, the snowplows have cleared most of the roads, but whatever progress they’ve made, it would be quickly undone as the snow recovered the pavement.

“What were you doing here so late anyways?”, “Well Mr. Kaiba, that’s a long story, just ask Seto, err Mr. Kaiba I mean.” “It’s fine, just call me Mokuba.” Unlike his brother, Mokuba didn’t mind being addressed by his first name in casual settings. “Wait, you stayed late because of Seto?” he asked, just now catching her answer.  Ana briefly summarized her adventure for the evening, conveniently leaving out the details about the violin and their encounter with Mikhail.  Mokuba was shocked, and rightfully so; the Seto he knew would’ve never done something like this, he would have kicked her out as soon as they were out of eyesight from the hotel.  “What is going on?” he asked quietly as they cruised down the almost empty highway.  Having never had to share Seto’s affection with anyone else, Mokuba was slightly jealous of whatever attention Ana was getting from his big brother, no matter how trivial.  

“Why are you listening to chess matches anyways? Don’t girls usually listen to Katy Perry or Billie Eye-Lash or something?” Ana chuffed at Mokuba’s lame joke.  

“I have a question for you,” she retorted, “why didn’t you just call your brother for a ride?  I’m sure he could’ve sent someone over.  Are you scared of him or something?” She added, knowing Seto’s temper. “No, he’s been really stressed lately, I just don’t want to be a bother that’s all.”  Ana understood exactly what he meant. As the younger sibling of an equally successful CEO, Ana never bothered Mikhail with trivial stuff, even though she knew he would be there for her at the drop of a hat.

Not wanting to make any more small-talk, Ana passed the aux cord to Mokuba, so to speak, and just let him entertain himself for the remainder of the ride.  At 3:00AM sharp, they arrived at the front gate of the Kaiba brothers’ home, a sprawling estate dominated by a giant manor.  Paying no attention to the impressive estate, Ana was rather annoyed at the layers of security they had to go through before being allowed inside.  

“Where are you going?” Mokuba shouted as Ana started pulling away. “Home.” She mouthed through her closed car window.  Mokuba sprinted down the steps and opened the passenger door. “Why don’t you just stay for the night? It’s not safe for you to drive in this condition.”  Ana looked around her, the storm was so heavy it’s even dimming the floodlights. _‘Oh man it’s icing.’_ She thought as she pursed her lips.  A little rest to wait out the ice storm wouldn’t hurt.  But what if Seto considers her an unwanted guest?  “Don’t worry, I’m sure Seto wouldn’t mind.” Mokuba smiled, as if reading her mind.  “Besides, we won’t tell Seto you’re here, right Marlina?” he winked at the maid waiting beside him.  She nodded politely as the rest of the staff followed her motion.

Ana took off her heels as she treaded up the stairs, following Mokuba’s directions as she made her way to one of the many guest bedrooms.  Marlina had gone off to retrieve some fresh towels, making a fuss the whole time to Mokuba about not being properly warned ahead of time.  The elderly maid quickly dismissed herself from Ana’s room after dropping off some clothes and fresh towels and mumbled something about shampoo and conditioners; Ana got the sense the staff here at the Kaiba Manor doesn’t deal with female visitors very often.  Being a germaphobe, Ana took a shower despite being in this foreign environment.  Afterwards, she reapplied her perfume, masking the stuff Marlina gave her, which smelled masculine as hell.  The clothes she was given were a few pairs of grey colored knee length maid skirts and what she was sure had to be Seto’s dress shirts.

With only a few more hours until dawn, Ana decided to pull an all-nighter instead. Afraid of sleeping in, she decided to use this opportunity to explore, and more than likely snoop, around the mansion instead.  She crept quietly out of her room, and tip-toed down the hallway.  Unlike the Kaiba Corp. building, the manor was decorated much more modestly, with traditional accents and classic furnishings.  Ana headed down the west wing and stopped as she passed one of the open doorways.  The room was bathed in the unmistakable orange glow of a well-lit fireplace.  It looked like an office space, but seemed much more cozy.  Curious, Ana walked into the room, the soft carpet quieting her footsteps.  A beautiful marble fireplace blazed away in the back corner of the room, surrounded by a couch and a couple love seats.  Walking towards the fireplace, Ana accidentally bumped into a table and froze as something shifted behind her.  Turning slowly, her eyes found a sleeping figure laying on the couch opposite of the fire.  Seto laid with one hand holding an open book resting on his chest and one arm draped over the seat, his fingers lingering above the open laptop sitting on the ground.  He was wearing the same outfit as earlier in the evening, but without the suit jacket, the tie that hung loosely around his neck intertwined with the duel monster necklace he’s always seen wearing.

The softly flickering light illuminated his handsome face as his chest moved slowly to the rhythm of his breathing.  Much more carefully than before, Ana maneuvered her way towards the couch and moved his laptop aside as she sat on the ground, facing the sleeping figure.  She folded her arms on the edge of the seat and rested her chin on top.  For a moment, she stared transfixed at the young man, her own face inches from his.  _‘Objectively,’_ she thought, observing Seto without any distractions, _‘he’s pretty damn good looking.’_

Being a little nosier than usual, Ana tilted her head to get a better look at his book, _‘Ladovsky…’_ no doubt he was researching for some inspiration for his upcoming duel stadium.  Curious, she gently worked one of her hands underneath his and lifted it from the book. _‘Ooo, original sketches.’_ her eyes widened, letting her palm rest on his chest in place of the book as she skimmed through the pages.  Almost instantly, Seto’s icy grip tightened around her hands.  Ana looked up hastily, worried she had awoken the slumbering beast; to her relief, he remained sound asleep.  _‘What is he, some kind of new age vampire?’_ Ana thought as her own hands started to go numb from his grip and freezing hands.  She looked around the room and spotted a folded throw draped over one of the loveseats that was thankfully within arm’s reach.  With her hands still trapped beneath his, Ana carefully arranged the blanket over the Seto, hoping another source of warmth would loosen his grip, but alas he just held on tighter.  Not wanting to wake him, Ana ceased her struggle to free her hand and just resigned to finish the book in this awkward position.  Using the dying fire as the only source of lighting, Ana examined each of Ladovsky’s hand drawn sketches in detail, completely captivated by the stout, yet delicate intricacy of Stalinistic architecture.  

Ana was knocked out of her trance as her phone started ringing, Mikhail’s name flashing on the screen as she fumbled to grab it.  Thankfully, the sound was muffled by the carpet, and she quickly silenced it and looked up at the sleeping figure once again. Luckily, Seto remained undisturbed.  The time display caught her eyes as her phone flashed on again.  It was already 5:50 in the morning, late by Mikhail’s standards, the only early bird in the family.  _‘Shoot, I should get going.’_ she thought as her eyes adjust to the darkness beyond the window, it had stopped snowing.  After reassuring Mikhail of her safety over a few text messages, Ana tried to pry her fingers loose from Seto’s grip, but to no avail.  Having never took him for a heavy sleeper, Ana wanted to gauge the delicacy of her situation. She gingerly poked Seto on the cheeks, then advancing to his chin when he didn’t respond to the former. _‘Wow, he must be really tired huh?’_ she thought, now brushing his lower lips with her thumb as she cradled his face in her hands.  Deciding there was no risk, she forcefully pulled her hands out of his and quickly replaced it with the book.  As swift as a ninja, she snuck out of the mansion and hopped in her Bentayga, the guards at the gates giving her no problem since the car was cleared just the night before.

* * *

 

A fountain of embers erupted in the fireplace as the last log crumbled into ashes.  The sleeping figure on the couch woke as the fire crackled it’s last dying breath. The blanket slid off Seto as he bolted awake. _‘That was a weird dream.’_ He thought, tossing the blanket aside.  He was dueling Noah again, not sure why, since he has beaten the twerp once already.  But they somehow ended up in a frozen tundra, just another cheap virtual reality trick, but damn it was cold.  On the verge of collapsing as his body started to freeze, his hands suddenly warmed as he drew a card he had never seen before from his deck.  The heat from the card radiated from his hands to his chest, then to the rest of his body.  Fearing he would lose his only source of warmth, Seto clutched tightly onto the card as the duel continued.  As expected, Seto won.  As soon as Noah’s life points hit zero, the scene dissolved before him and morphed into that of his childhood home.  The sweet aroma of citrus and gardenia perfumed the air as he walked towards the kitchen, the scent was so familiar to him, yet he couldn’t recall where he had smelled it before.  The silhouette of his mother came into view as she prepared his bento for the day.  She turned to him as he called out to her, smiling sweetly, she reached out and stroke his cheeks gently.  The warmth in his hands subsided and everything dissolved again, next thing he knew, Seto was falling down a pitch-black cavern with no end in sight. 

Seto brushed his hands through his hair but paused midway as he caught a whiff of the very same flowery citrus-y scent he remembered from his dream.  Confused, he sniffed at his hands, his shirt and even the book, all of which carried that exact same familiar scent.  Questioning his own sanity, Seto made his way down to the breakfast table, wondering if he’s hallucinating again from overwork.

Having promised Mokuba they would stay silent, the mansion staff was caught in a pickle between being fired by Mokuba for informing Seto of the late-night visitor, or being fired by Seto for not telling him about it.  To their relief, the young man just casually munched away at his breakfast, so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice his staff’s unusually fidgety behavior. 


	11. It's leviOOOsa, not levioSAAA

Accustomed to using public transport on snow days back in Massachusetts, the heated streets of inner-city Tokyo made driving much easier for Ana.  One would’ve thought a few years of college in the American Northeast would’ve prepared her for snowpocalypses like this, but it just fueled her dislike for the cold. 

“Misha Misha.” looking tired and disheveled, Ane greeted her brother lazily as she collapsed onto her giant beanbag near the breakfast nook.  Mikhail, on the other hand, a man of intense personal discipline, was already alert and dressed for work.  Mikhail looked up from his laptop as his sister trudged her way towards him and quickly ended a call.  “Are you ok? You had me worried.” He sighed, sipping on some green tea, the only caffeinated beverage he could find in Ana’s apartment. “I’m fine, I just stayed over at a friend’s place.” Mikhail rolled his eyes playfully, they both knew it was a lie, she had no friends.  “Sorry about last night.” He smiled apologetically, knowing he went a little overboard with the whole Kaiba thing, and also feeling guilty for bringing home some random hook-up instead of his little sister.  Ana waved him off, knowing that it was nothing to get heated over, shit happens. 

A small knock sounded from the kitchen entrance as Mikhail’s assistant entered her apartment, Ana greeted the man with a simple smile but otherwise remained silent as he went over the day’s itinerary with her brother. 

 _‘What in the Elon-Musk type of shit is this?’_ Ana puzzled.  “You’re going to work on a Sunday?”, “Mhmm.”, “Aren’t you hungover?” she questioned as both men prepared to leave.  “Do I look it?”, “No.”, “Then what’s your question?” he smirked, draining the rest of his tea.  She never understood how these business go-getter types do it, you know, the Seto Kaibas of the world.  These freaks of nature who wake up at ungodly hours in the morning no matter how late they went to bed the night before and adhere to a strict routine and refuse to deviate from it unless absolutely necessary.

“Hey, you academic types are the freaks, not me.” Mikhail said suddenly, knowing exactly what Ana was thinking at the moment.  He never understood her lifestyle either.  It’s a miracle she manages to accomplish anything with her chaotic schedule, sleeping in one day then pulling an all-nighter the next.  She'd rather cram 5 hours of work into 1 and slack off for the other 4.  Not to mention, a person has to be insane to purposely isolate themselves from any social interactions, case-in-point being those scientists you see in movies with secret labs in their basements, going bonkers making human centipedes.  Oh, but crazy part is, Ana does it without any caffeine.

“I think one of us is adopted.” They both came to the same consensus, laughing.  “I got you a present by the way.” He said, pointing to a box of her favorite macaroons sitting on the counter. He had bought it from a boutique shop in Paris just before flying to Tokyo for last night’s event.  “Ты самый лучший!” Ana smiled. “I know I’m the best.” He laughed as he walked out of her apartment, gently closing the door behind him. 

 

* * *

 

 

To prepare for the world championship this Saturday, Seto canceled all of his lunch plans for the week and filled that time instead with practice chess matches.  He took advantage of the Japan being the host country for this year’s tournament and flew a few chess masters out early so they could spar with him.  On Tuesday, he welcomed the highly distinguished grandmaster Maurice Ashley, while his assistants cleared the meeting room and moved in a chessboard table.  They started with the exact same sequence as they did last time, repeating the same moves until only a few pieces remained. 

At their last meeting, Seto had stopped the match at this exact step, wanting some more time to mull over his next move.  This was the very same configuration Ana saw on the miniature chessboard in Seto’s Urus.  He had set it up to help him visualize his next move, just something to do during long car rides.  “Well?” the grandmaster gestured at the board, curious what move Seto is going to play next.  Thinking back carefully, Seto begrudging acknowledged that Ana’s move with the knight and bishop combo was perfect, a guaranteed win for this match.  Dismissing her, he refused to believe a substitute intern had thought of something he couldn’t; because of that, Seto has been hard at work the last few days trying desperately to devise a better alternative, going so far as asking Yugi for advice.

“I’m quite ill-prepared to end this.”, “Oh? wah mek that?” the kind Jamaican grandmaster smiled, perplexed at Seto’s atypical answer.  Briefly, Seto explained Ana’s audacity in choosing his next move for him.  Curious, Grandmaster Ashley insisted enthusiastically on seeing what this employee of his had done.  As Seto mimicked the movements Ana did, the grandmaster burst into laughter, clapping his hands loudly. “Dat a Checkmate! Brilliant!” he beamed, “Whoeva dis person is, he or she deserves a big fat raise.” he chortled.  The young CEO’s face grew red as the chess master continued to praise the unknown employee.  Knowing Seto respected his opinions greatly, Grandmaster Ashely smiled and patted Seto gently on the arm, “Yuh are a gud lad mi son, nuh let this get yuh down.  It’s a gud ting to kip round someone who is smarta than yuh.  It keeps yuh sharp.” He smiled; touching is index finger to his temple.  “Luk at mi! 82 and still gwaan strong, that’s because I’m married to a wuhman who knows everything betta than mi!” He laughed. “Com, com, let’s ‘ave anotha match.” He waved Seto closer with both of his hands. 

While one of Seto’s assistants busied themselves resetting the board, the grandfatherly man reached into his bag and withdrew a tin of homemade ginger snaps “Before I forget.” he smiled and handed it to Seto. It was a gift from his wife; something he had always brought with him whenever he visited the young man.  Having rarely eaten anything that isn’t prepared by a chef or at a restaurant, Seto greatly appreciated this kind gesture, although he never vocalized his gratitude beyond the typical formalities.  Seto received the tin with both hands and mumbled a _thank you_ as he set it aside.  Grandmaster Ashley smiled kindly and nodded in response to Seto’s unspoken appreciation.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ana-Banana!” Mokuba shouted as he sprinted up the stairs of the balcony Thursday morning.  “Banana rhymes with _An-Na_ not _Ana_.” she shook her head as he reaches her desk.  “-sir.” she added quickly, noticing heads peeking up around them as people overheard their informal exchange.  “Get back to work!” Looks like Mokuba noticed the same thing too.  “How may I be of assistance?” she asked, returning to her attention back to her computer now that everyone had scurried back to their stations. “You know how to play chess right?” he said, pulling up a seat and sat backwards onto the chair.  “Yes.” She answered inattentively.  “Wanna play during lunch?” he asked eagerly, perking up at her answer.  Ana look at him with a raised eyebrow, suspicious of his motives; giving someone a lift home shouldn’t be the social equivalent of a gateway drug to friendship.

“No.” She answered firmly, turning away to refocus on her work again.  

“Why not?” he pleaded.

“I’m leaving at 11:00.”

“For just a few minutes?”

“No.”

After badgering Ana for well over 15 minutes and ultimately failing to persuade her, Mokuba decided to pull his trump card. “I’ll cancel your WCC ticket.” he threatened.  “Going back on your promise? That’s very unKaiba like of you.” Ana sneered.  Mokuba grinned, and simply said “I don’t remember signing anything, and verbal agreements aren’t legally binding here in Japan.”

“Oh you’re good at this.” Ana’s eyes widened and nodded mockingly.  The more she interacted with the brothers, the more she saw the resemblance.  “Sweet, meet me in conference room 5709B at 11:30, bring your lunch with you and don’t be late!” _‘Does he have to be so loud!?’_ Ana facepalmed as Mokuba ran back downstairs, shouting as he goes.

Turns out, Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand was scheduled to play with Seto today but had to cancel last minute due to some health problems that required immediate medical attention.  Mokuba knew how much these practice sessions meant to Seto, it’s one of the few times he gets to enjoy himself without the added pressure of having a championship title being held over his head.  Setting aside his jealousy, Mokuba went with his hunch and sought out Ana, unaware of chess match that had occurred in the Urus.

 

* * *

 

“Who are you?”  Seto’s deep voice barked from the conference room doorway. 

 

Ana looked up from her homework, her lunch spoon dangling from her mouth.  With the extra 30 minutes to spare between clocking out and meeting Mokuba, she had already changed into her casual clothes, planning to bail the hell out as soon she’s done with the kid.  It took a minute for Seto to recognize the girl sitting before him having only seen Ana in either business attire or formal wear. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked harshly as his assistants maneuvered around him, setting up for the chess game.  Catching onto Mokuba’s gig, Ana sighed and smiled to herself; somehow, the kid had played them both.  She unhurriedly replaced her spoon and cleared away her homework before standing up and taking a deep bow.  “I was told to be here sir.” she answered. “By who?” Seto asked incredulously.  “By Mr. Kaiba of course.” “I never-” Seto stopped short as he realized who was behind all this.  “I don’t play with amateurs.” he sneered, his staff pausing their setup and looking uncertainly at each other, unsure of what to do.  “What, afraid of losing again?” Ana tilted her head and looked on tauntingly, knowing she was aiming for a sore spot.  “You better watch your mouth.” He warned. “Then prove me wrong.”  

Growling, Seto signaled for the set-up to continue as Ana smiled and sat excitedly, finally getting that chess match she wanted from him.  


	12. Check Please

“This won’t take long.” Seto ordered everyone to leave the them and not to enter the room unless they’re called upon.

As if conducting a business meeting, Seto explain the rules and mechanics of the match thoroughly, so there would be no confusion with other variations of the game.  Ana listened intently; like Dr. Ishida, who stupidly ruined Seto’s iris trackers, she’s not the type to read instructions before starting anything; but unlike him, she tends to figure things out pretty quickly. 

“Got it?” Seto asked, wondering if she had caught it all.  “Sir, yes sir.” She responded, looking up at him with sparkles in her eyes.  “I’ve never seen anyone get so excited over a defeat.” Seto smirked.  “Mhmm,” she responded absentmindedly, not even hearing what he said, her mind already completely focused on the game.  “Go.” Seto ordered, nodding towards her white chess pieces.  He picked up the apple Roland had brought him earlier and leaned back in his chair as he started eating away.  Unbeknownst to him, she started the game with a highly advantageous handicap, having watched his chess matches for years. Seto, on the other hand, was going in blind. 

Twenty minutes in, both Seto and Ana were both sitting much straighter than they had been at the start.  He was completely caught off guard by how quickly Ana was able to keep up; not only that, he was actually having to pay attention to the game, forgetting the apple in his other hand.  Their pace slowed as the game progressed, with both taking longer and longer to consider their next move.  Part of the issue Ana had with Seto’s play style was his tendency to improvise when his initial strategy isn’t panning out exactly how he wants it.  With her initial handicap gone, Ana is now playing him at her full capacity.  She is playing like a computer algorithm, trying to always stay one step ahead by analyzing her opponent’s every possible move, weighing in outcome and eliminating the riskier options.  That way, she’s almost universally prepared no matter what strategy they throw at her.

Seto eyes narrowed as he considered his next move.  He’d never encountered anything like this before; Ana played as if she knew what his next move what going to be before he even planned it.  How did she decipher his moves?  With over 1040 ways a chess game can unfold, no way a human can do such astronomical calculations, not even in 10 lifetimes. 

 

* * *

 

 

Her neck stiff from hunching over for so long, Ana took a break as they neared the end of the game and looked up from the chessboard.  Waiting for Seto to finish his turn, Ana glanced at her watch, they’ve been at it for an hour already.  Seto's apple now sat on the conference table with only one chunk taken out it.  

 _‘No wonder he’s so skinny,’_ she thought, recounting how he only sipped on some water at exhibition/charity dinner, leaving his dinner untouched.   _‘What if he’s not really a cranky person but is just perpetually hangry?’_  She leaned back in her chair as she continued to stare. _‘Maybe he’s suffering from some sort of vitamin deficiency, the man looks like he doesn’t see the sun very much.’_ She narrowed her eyes, quickly dismissing that diagnosis as she remembered how nice his skin was. _‘Besides, his hair and nails look fine.’_ Ana checked as Seto fiddled with one of the chess pieces between his long slender fingers.  _‘Those muscles though,’_ she gawked as her eyes traveled up.  Even though it’s hidden under layers of clothing, she could still see the clearly defined outline of his biceps. _‘How does he get enough protein in his diet if the man never eats? And those abs...’_ she continued, visualizing him in his battle city outfit that did nothing to hide this man’s godlike physique.   _‘It can’t be genetic, Mokuba looks nothing like him.  When does he have the time to work out? Is he an android in disguise?’_   If so, whoever programmed his voice did an amazing job.  Add his height and his delicious smell, bet girls would love to get Kabedon-ed by him all day long, not she could ever see him doing it tho.  Speaking of girls, how many has he been with?  Ana couldn’t recall coming across any sex scandals related to either of the Kaiba brothers.  Is he a virgin?  Does he have them murdered afterwards?  Or is he just a bad performer?  But he can’t be that bad right?  Because the man is like the perfect definition of _big-dick-energy_.  Ana licked the corner of her lips as he eyes traveled down south. _‘I wonder…’_  

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey Nikolaev. Nikolaev! ANA!”  Ana snapped out of her trance and jerked her head up as Seto shouted her name.  With the most _‘WTF’_ expression written on his face; Ana realized what Seto had just caught her doing.  Feeling her cheeks burning, Ana quickly cleared her throat and scrambled to make her move.  _‘Oh shit, oh shit,’_ she panicked having lost track of everything over her momentary distraction.  In her flustered state, Ana was unable to focus correctly and slid one of her rooks into the wrong position.  _‘I am so fucked’._ Ana mentally kicked herself, wishing she hadn’t done that.  What the hell had come over her for her to fangirl over him like a total perv? When she’s so close to winning too!  Ana threw off her hoodie angrily as her body temperature shot up from the adrenaline and loosened her hair as she felt the onset of a pressure headache.

 

 

* * *

 

After debating between the two possible options he could take, Seto had decided on the riskier route and made his move.  He waited patiently for Ana to take her turn, but after what seemed to be hours, he finally lost his patience he looked up from the game.  What he saw confused the heck out of him. 

Ana was sitting upright but her eyes were fixated on a specific location at the center of his trousers.  She bore an expression that was a mixture between Blackbeard trying to find his lost buried treasures and that of a kid eyeing a piece of candy she was told not to eat.  He quickly looked down and made sure his zippers were done. 

“Hey Nikolaev.” he called, no response.  “Nikolaev!” he called louder as Ana licked her lips seductively.  Unnerved that he’s actually getting turned on by this.  “ANA!” he shouted her first name as a last resort; himself responding to  _Seto_ more readily than when he’s addressed as _Kaiba_.   Her eyes widened as she saw his face and immediately looked back down at the game, her whole body glowing pink.  Seto, on the other hand, recovered quickly, being accustomed to the constant ogling of women around him.  Still, how the hell did he get so turned on just by seeing her lick her supple juicy li-. _‘No, stop thinking about that!’_ Feeling his pulse quickening again, Seto blocked out the thoughts and refocused on the match. 

After Ana’s grave mistake with the rook, Seto moved in, preparing for the killshot.  Suddenly, a familiar smell filled the room and he looked up for the second time as Ana yanked her hoodie off and threw it onto the chair beside her.  The citrusy gardenia like scent intensified as she pulled her bun loose and let her long espresso locks fall past her shoulders.  _‘Ladovsky?’....Mom?'_ Seto thought, now even more confused than before.

 

* * *

 

 

 _‘I have to do something.’_ Ana won’t allow herself to lose this match, she cannot live with herself knowing it wasn’t her lack of skills but her stupidity that had cost her this game. Seto isn’t known for giving people second chances, even if he expects them for himself.  Her eyes darted back and forth around the room, searching desperately for inspiration. After spotting a small blueprint-like drawing tacked onto one of the bulletin boards, her mind immediately thought of the book she had caught Seto reading.  She recalled seeing Seto’s sticky notes plastered throughout the book with a Japanese proverb written on several of them.  ‘ _It’s a commonly used phrase but what the heck, why not give it a shot.’_

“Если вы едите отравленные блюда.” She sighed out loud as she moved her piece.  Seto’s head shot up as she ended her sentence.  “Say that again.” He ordered. “Если вы едите отравленные блюда.” she repeated hesitantly, pretending to be startled by his sudden change in demeanor.  _‘_ _Is she playing some kind of cheap Russian parlor trick on me?’_

The phrase Ana uttered is the Russian translation of the Japanese proverb 毒食わば皿まで, the equivalent of _in for a penny in for a pound_.  It was something his mother often used to help motivate herself to continue or to start over whenever she messed up on a dish or a craft.   Seto used this phrase as form of self-motivation on nights he worked from home.  Whenever he felt the urge give up for the night and crawl into his large comfy bed, he would jot this down on a sticky note and place it in whatever project he was working on, a small motivational habit.

 

Running on fumes and being so preoccupied with his thoughts, Seto’s body went into autopilot and played an move that nearly cemented his defeat.  “Check,” Ana said quietly as she moved in her pawn into place, but her declaration was completely ignored by Seto. 

A reminder for his 1:30 meeting suddenly sounded from Seto’s phone and snapped him out of his daze.  With only 5 minutes left to spare, and confident in his inevitable victory, Seto wanted to get this match done and over with.

 

 _‘Wait,’_ he paused as his queen hovered over the chessboard, _‘What happened?’_  When did he move his rook?  

4 minutes and 11 seconds. 

 _‘When did I play this?’_ he stared at his misplaced rook incredulously, furious at what he had apparently done.

3 minutes and 23 seconds. 

_‘No, I can’t go with my original play, my king is in check. Shit, I haven’t prepared for the meeting yet.’_

2 minutes and 18 seconds. 

Seto panicked slightly, while maintaining his usual cool, collected demeanor. He glanced at his watch again.

1 minutes and 52 seconds.

With no time left to think, he somehow managed to return Ana’s check and rose from his seat exactly as his alarm sounded, signaling the end of the match.

“We’re done.” He said, turning and striding out the door, leaving Ana staring at the draw that he managed to produce with his final maneuver.


	13. My Savior!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, first of all, thank you for reading, you lovely creature you :)  
> Second, this if my first attempt at writing fanfiction of any sort, it would be greatly appreciate it if you could leave me comment or a critique, (it's always nice to hear the reader's feedback, even if you tell me I suck). And not gonna lie, it's motivational as well. :D
> 
> Tootles!

The clicking of camera shutters and the shuffling of people greeted the 8 World Chess Championship finalists as they filed into the quiet conference hall.  The commentator did a brief introduction for each player, summarizing their titles and past accolades.  The commentator concluded by announcing the tournament would be conducted elimination style and played consecutively, with a winner to be announced by the end of the day.  A faint applause sounded as the finalists took their seats. 

From viewing previous broadcasts, Ana knew there was no such thing as ringside seating for these types of events.  With little to no audience participation (and silence taken as a literal virtue), chess matches are more commonly televised rather than attended as a live event. The chess masters are always surrounded by a mob of reporters and journalists while whatever little audience was in attendance resorted to viewing the matches from a monitor instead. 

However, the ringside seats Mokuba promised were indeed ringside freaking seats.  The usual horde of people holding cameras and microphones were now replaced by tripods that are either mounted on the table, or planted firmly on the ground.  That had opened up a lot more room for people to sit closer to the ongoing match while not being obstructed by a wall of reporters.

Ana received a text message as she handed the valet her keys.  Mokuba had conveniently forgotten to inform Seto of her attendance today.  In response, she opted to watch from the lobby until it was Seto’s turn instead, not wanting her surprise presence to cause any inconveniences for him.  After waiting for 2 hours, it was finally the last of the heats: Seto Kaiba vs Fabiano Caruana.  Ana seated quietly beside Mokuba as the arbiter announced the start of the match. 

 

* * *

 

 

 _‘Why did I ever think I could’ve beaten him?’_ Ana lamented as the two 25-year-old world champions clashed toe to toe against each other.  Thinking back to their own game, Ana was shocked that Seto had somehow ended their match with a draw even after she successfully pulled off the Ladovsky stunt.  Meanwhile, she, the exceptional genius that she is, started with a handicap but still managed to sabotage her own game in the end.  Although technically neither emerged as a winner, Ana knew Seto would’ve totally kicked her butt.  _‘And he didn’t even eat lunch that day!_

 

The quiet applause resumed as the names of the 4 quarter finalists were announced.  

During the break, Ana sat transfixed in her seat, stroking her chin while watching the accelerated replays of the heats matches on a large television display.  

Mokuba stood back respectfully as Seto finished his customary rounds of greetings and handshakes before running to greet him.  “Don’t you dare.” Seto warned jokingly, knowing Mokuba always tried to congratulate him at the end of every match, “there’s no cause for celebration.”. 

“Fine then, تهانينا (congratulations)!” Mokuba grinned.  

_‘Huh? When did Mokuba learn Arabic?… and why Arabic?’_

Seto’s question was suddenly answered as Mokuba pointed towards the direction of a lone figure seated in audience area.  And she was, Ana, one of the few people in the world that knew of Seto’s shortfall on this particular language.  “Why is she here?” Seto questioned sharply. “It was my idea, please don’t be angry with me.” Mokuba pleaded awkwardly, hoping Seto wouldn’t mind his decision; and, like always, Seto let him get away with it.  

The rest of the finals went without a hitch and of course, yet again, Seto emerged victorious.  Ana didn’t clap, but smiled brightly as the president of the organization pronounced Seto the champion of this year’s WCC tournament.  She was genuinely happy for his achievements; obviously, he’s earned it.  Ana’s wounded pride was one thing, but she’s also the one to give credit where credit is due.  

 

* * *

 

 

Mokuba followed as Seto was ushered towards the press conference room.  Not wanting to stick around, Ana made her way past the crowd of photographers and interviewer, intending to head straight home.

“Ana?” she turned at the sound of her name.  A handsome young man with dark hair and glasses rushed towards her, “It’s me! Antonio Marchesi! Don’t you remember?” he laughed at her puzzled expression. “Ok, how about Andy from Organic Chem class who sat 2 seats down from you?” “Oh…” Indeed, he is Andy from Organic Chem who sat 2 seats below her.

“You… look different.” “Yeah I lost like 70 pounds.”

The two old schoolmates struck up a conversation as they maneuvered through the lobby.  Turns out, Andy’s brother is the new talent this year and had managed work himself all the way to up to the finals before losing to Kaiba.  Good, she knew that last name sounded familiar.  Andy did basically all of the talking while Ana listened.  She knew he had a thing for her way back in undergrad but she did not share the same feeling in return, _‘aaand this is why.’_ she pursed her lips as the young man droned on and on about his new job, his houses, his cars, his expensive wine collection etc...; obviously trying to impress her.  It doesn’t matter if the person is thicc, skinny, tall, short, hairy, bald, rich, or poor, to Ana, annoying is annoying. 

“Andy, I have to go.” Having had enough of her time wasted, Ana stopped his incessant yapping and turned to leave.  “Hey! Who’s your pretty friend?”  Ana groaned as Andy’s brother walked towards them with his squad of bros following behind.  Another round of introductions ensued followed by even more bragging from the Marchesi brothers. _‘You people are insufferable!’_ Ana lamented as Marco and Andy Marchesi, literally blocking her path to leave, recounted Macro’s brilliant chess play for the second time.

The door to the press conference opened as the reporters and photographers filed out.  Ana searched for an opportunity to slip away and escape this hell. 

“So hey uh, what’s your number?” Her search was abruptly halted as Marco stepped closer with his phone in hand.  “Sorry I don’t give out my numbers.” Ana said, trying to leave for the third time but was pushed back by Marco, “Ok you need to move asshole.” she shoved back.  “Why not?” he smirked, moving even closer, forcing his phone onto her. “Because no one would ever go out with a loser like you.” A familiar voice rang out.

Marchesi’s squad of people parted as a sneering Seto stepped forward, sporting his shiny new champion’s medal.   _'Oh Bless you, you beautiful creature!'_ Ana never thought she would be so relieved to see Seto Kaiba in her life; and this time, without Seto’s initiative, Ana pushed through the wall of people and stepped behind him.  “First you stole my championship title now you’re trying to steal my girlfriend Kaiba?” Marco taunted; arms crossed. “Don’t blame me for your incompetence Marchesi.  Besides, we all know I’m better looking than you.”  Ana laughed into her hands as she nodded in agreement. It’s true, Seto IS much better looking. 

“We’re leaving.” Ana gladly followed as Seto marched towards the exit.

 

 

Less apprehensive than before, Ana was about to offer her gratitude but was cut short as Seto silenced her by holding up his hand.  “Save it,” he snapped, “consider this a form of compensation for the fat idiot you beat up.” and with that, Seto slammed his car door close and drove off.  Ana was unsure why she felt so disappointed at his sudden stoniness, but this is Kaiba after all, what did she expect?

As Seto pulled around to leave, a grinning Mokuba gave Ana a slow wink and a huge thumbs up before waving goodbye.  

 _'_ _What the hell was that for?’_  


	14. Friendship

_‘What the hell was that for?’_

The question echoed through both Seto and Ana’s minds as Mokuba gestured out the window.  Looking behind her, Ana was sure the wink and thumbs up was meant for someone else.  If they were supposed to be “in” on something together, maybe he should’ve clued her in first.

 

* * *

 

 

Mokuba’s little stunt had Seto concerned, not about his brother’s blossoming friendship, but rather, he’s suspicious of Ana’s motives.  This stranger emerged into his life only a few weeks ago and already she had somehow manipulated him into firing an employee, chauffering her around, playing chess with her, wasting time to save her her, and even getting seduced by her.  Thankfully, the only thing she had managed to accomplish so far was wasting his time. But Seto had to put his foot down now that she has gotten Mokuba involved.

 “You said she did you a favor, what favor?” Mokuba could tell by the tone of Seto’s voice that he meant business.  Unwilling to risk a lie, Mokuba answered truthfully, “I asked Ana drive me home the night of the charity auction, I forgot Roland wasn’t on the scheduled to drive me and it was already snowing by the time I was done working. She was the only one I saw left in the building.”

“Was she informed of this beforehand?” Seto asked, wondering if that was the reason why Ana went back to Kaiba Corp that night.  “No, I saw her in the parking deck at around 2:00 in the morning.” 

Mokuba’s answer set off an immediate red flag; a whole hour was unaccounted for between the time she was dropped off and the time Mokuba saw her.  Seto took a mental note to have Roland investigate on this matter later.

“Why didn’t you just call me?” he asked sharply, feeling a bit wounded that his own brother would rather risk a ride home with a stranger than to ask his big brother.  “I… I didn’t want to bother you.” Mokuba said quietly, his voice almost fearful. 

“I’m sorry.” Seto muttered, wishing he hadn’t been so harsh with Mokuba just now. 

“There is one more thing I need to tell you. That night, uh, because it was already really late and was it was icing…I had Ana stayed over in one of our guest rooms for the night.”

*Screeeeech*

The Audi skidded across the pavement as Seto slammed down on the breaks.  The citrusy scent, Ladovsky’s book, the chess match… It all makes sense now.  Just what the hell is she playing at?

“Wha, what’s wrong Seto!?” Mokuba’s voice trembled as traffic halted around them, nervous he had finally crossed the line with this one.  Without responding, Seto resumed his driving and picked up his phone.  “Roland, cue up Kaiba Corp’s security footage from last Saturday night and tell Marlina to do the same for the house.”  He then looked sternly at Mokuba, “Stay away from Nikolaev from now on, I don’t trust her.”

 

* * *

 

 

The cafeteria was almost empty by the time Ana was able to break for lunch.  Taking her favorite seat by the window, she picked up her chopsticks and opened the bento she had just purchased. Unable to work up an appetite, she closed the lid and laid down her utensils. 

For the first time in a long time, Ana genuinely enjoyed someone’s company, unfortunately it was Seto Kaiba’s. Not only that, she looked forward to seeing him every day, which never happens to her having always grow tired of people by the end of week 1. Albeit a very unconventional friendship by societal standards, but to her, Seto was fast becoming one. To her disappointment, she thinks she has made a mistake.

Ana sat anxiously as she twirled a straw in her hands.  She doesn’t know why it bothered her so much but Mokuba had stopped greeting her and avoided her like the plague.  Seto, on the other hand just ignored her completely, no taunts, no staring contests, nothing; just glares and scowls if interaction is absolutely necessary.  Ana desperately wanted to know if she had done anything wrong but refused to go seek answers or disclose her feelings because she’s too afraid of embarrassing herself.

Not sure how to properly deal with this kind of situation, Ana disappointment devolved into anger and resentment as she over analyzed every single detail.  She considered all of the worst-case scenarios and concluded that: Seto hated her this whole time, she was just too stupid to see it.  And Mokuba was only nice to her so he could convince her to do things for him. 

Ana is aware of how ridiculously overdramatized all this is, but she couldn’t help it. _‘Whatever.’_ She snatched up her uneaten lunch box and stormed back to her workstation, reminding herself to stop by the bookstore and pick up a few titles on the psychology of friendship.  

 

* * *

 

A solemn Seto sat at the head of the table as his board of directors silently took their seats.  He called in his senior staff members for an emergency meeting, needing their vote regarding an important matter.  

It had come as a surprise when Seto received a report of Kaiba Corp’s difficulties breaking into the Russian market.  With such a vibrant gaming culture and home to some of the best gamers in the world, Russia wasn’t high on his list of markets that would have required aggressive corporate maneuvering to gain a foothold in.  The research team was now suggesting that a strong sense of nationalism was the driving force behind Kaiba Corp’s lack of progress in Russia.  With an economy that is based heavily on the exportation of goods and services, many foreign commercial enterprises had failed in this respect because of the low demand for imports.  To succeed in such a self-reliant economy, Seto needed the backing of the powerful Russian oligarchs. 

The majority vote by Kaiba Corp’s board of director’s supported Seto’s plan to attempt a negotiation with Ivan Krevchanko, the Russian media czar with a monopoly on everything entertainment related.  The business part of it will be easy, as bribery never fails, but convincing the man himself would be more of an issue.  Seto knew persuasion was not one of his better traits (unless it’s through force or threats); this was especially true if he must deal with this xenophobic old bastard.  Sending anyone else in his stead, however, will be looked upon as an insult.

“Mr. Kaiba, what exactly are your planning to do?” Director Ito asked.  Seto dismissed him and signaled for the next question, unwilling to disclose his strategy to his executives.  Unbeknownst to the board of directors, Seto already had a plan in motion, but it was just too risky to discuss it so openly right now.

 

* * *

 

 

Hiroka held the door open as the directors funneled out of the conference room.  She greeted Seto as Mokuba joined by her side.  “Mr. Kaiba, Miss Krevchanko has just arrived.” Hiroka announced.  

To rub elbows with the media czar, Ivan Krevchanko, an introduction from within the oligarch’s inner circle was absolutely vital.  Lacking the essential time and resources necessary to network his way in, Seto devised an alternative plan.  Seto had acquainted himself with Alena Krevchanko, Ivan’s youngest daughter, one of the most popular Russian influencers dominating the social media platform.  Seto reached out to her, he was sure she would be the perfect person to get him in touch with her grouchy old man.  And with him being herald as one of the top 10 eligible bachelors in the world, he knew she couldn’t resist him.

Seto acknowledged Hiroka and waved her to the side.  “What’s the status on the Moscow trip?” he asked, re-directing his attention to Mokuba.   “Everything is good to go bro.  The trip is scheduled for 14 days, including the arrival and departure dates.  Lector and Roland will look after Kaiba Corp’s operations while we’re gone, but they’ll have hourly reports sent to us electronically.  Since it’ll be the holidays, I don’t expect our absence will be too much of an issue anyways.”  Mokuba concluded his status report and waited for Seto’s confirmation.

“14 days? I said 8 days max.”  Seto, incensed by the adjustments that were made without his approval, snatched the itinerary out of Mokuba’s hands and read through it quickly.  “Alena’s assistant called earlier and added the 6 extra days.”  Mokuba responded as he himself looked through the extra activities that were added to the list, “shopping, sightseeing, dining out… just the stuff normal couples do.” Mokuba pointed out, “Remember bro, this girl thinks she is bringing you home to meet her the family for the holidays, not to help you work up a business deal with her dad.”

Seto slammed the itinerary on the table and clinched his teeth. 

“Screw it, whatever.  Who else is coming with us?”  At his question, Hiroka handed him a list pf the names and titles of the people that were to form their entourage.  “Fine, whatever.” He grumbled and signed his initial beside each name. 

Seto hesitated as he reached the bottom of the list, eyeing the picture of the last person he was supposed to approve; Ana’s piecing grey eyes looked right back at him as if she’s luring him into another staring contest.  “Did she check out?” he asked, unsure of his decision.  “Yes, Lector contacted both Agent Hause and Agent Xu for a background check and both of them said her record was spotless.” Mokuba answered eagerly, hoping it would ease Seto’s doubts about Ana. “Well, she did get a couple speeding tickets, but they were all dismissed in court.” he added, not wanting to risk omitting any details again.

With such limited free time lately, neither Mokuba nor Seto had had the chance to review the security footage from his home on the night of Ana’s sleepover.  Seto was more concerned with her activities in the Kaiba Corp building once his butler had reported nothing to be stolen or removed from the manor.  The Kaiba Corp footage showed Ana exiting the Urus and heading straight for her workstation.  She then proceeded to work at her desktop for about an hour before shutting down and leaving.  Kaiba Corp’s system verified what he saw by logging her digital activity which matched the timestamp of the footage.  Everything made sense except for her Bentley Bentayga, she had apparently drove to work one day and just left it there until the night of the incident.  That’s one hell of an expensive car for a regular college kid to just leave sitting around. 

“Leave it up to the freaking college intern to be the only one that’s able to speak Japanese, English, Russian, and Arabic fluently.” Seto grumbled, tossing her file aside.

Upon hearing that the Ansaris were planning to visit Moscow during the holidays, Seto thought of the only person he knew that could translate for him efficiently.  With Hiroka unable to tag along because of her child and the more qualified employees on vacation for the upcoming holidays, Ana was the best option he has to a finding a translator slash personal assistant so last minute.  Under any other circumstances, Seto would’ve demanded for his employees to work with no excuses heard, but deep down he is quite a sensitive soul when it comes to spending quality time with family members.

 

* * *

 

 

“Enough!” shouted Seto, silencing Hiroka, who had been pleading for him to take the intern.  He has no idea why his senior secretary is so invested in Ana.  _‘Well she did take over for Hiroka that night.’_ Seto thought back to the charity auction, _‘and she was able to keep up with me the entire time.’_ he reasoned. “Yeah, until her ex showed up.” He groused under his breath, remembering Mikhail’s reaction upon seeing her by his side. 

“Mr. Kaiba?” A young receptionist knocked on the glass door. “What?” “Miss Krevchanko is heading over here sir.”, “I didn’t ask for her to.” “She insisted, sir.” Seto closed his eyes and took a deep breath “I’ll deal with that later.” he said, pointing to Ana’s picture before shoving his chair back and storming out of the conference room. 


	15. Ew, Vivaldi

Seto begrudgingly allowed Alena Krevchanko to kiss him goodbye after denying her request to stay the night.  Their evening started off normally, with the typical introductions and pleasantries.  As they progressed through dinner, Seto was surprised to find himself relaxed and enjoying their conversation.  Alena was not only beautiful and polite; she also came off extremely intelligent and charming.  They discussed current affairs, politics, technology, and explored many more topics Seto wasn’t used to discussing with girls he goes on dates with.

En route back to her hotel, “Ooo Ledovsky!” Alena exclaimed, snatching the sketch book that was cushioned between Seto’s e-brake and the driver’s seat.  “Are you familiar with his work?” Seto asked, intrigued by her sudden enthusiasm.  “Oh no, I just saw the Russian last name that’s all.” She laughed, flipping through the book haphazardly, causing some of Seto’s notes to fall loose.  He watched as she swept the notes together with her hands and gather them into a messy pile before hastily stuffed them into the book.

At the site of her manhandling his property so carelessly, Seto turned up the volume in his car to drown out his bubbling fury.  He breathed slowly as the melody of Vivaldi’s concerto in B minor sounded from his speakers, gradually sedating his anger.  From the corner of his eyes, Seto saw Alena flip her hair dramatically, scowling at his dashboard display.  “You don’t like this stuff either huh?” he tested.  “No at all, classical music is so boring and stupid, how could anyone listen to this stuff?” she disapproved, falling into Seto’s trap.  “Ana would.” Seto growled without thinking, louder than he had intended. “Ana who!?” Alena snapped.  _‘Shit, why did I say that for?’_ With one hand on the steering wheel, Seto quickly reached out with the other and took Alena’s hands.  “Hmm?” he sounded, feigning ignorance to her question.  No further inquiries followed, just looks of suspicion.

Mokuba greeted them at the hotel, wanting to leave a good impression by personally bidding Alena goodnight.  Right as the brothers readied to take their leave, Alena, however, suddenly grabbed Seto by the arm and pulled him towards her.  “It’s late, would you like to stay the night?” she smiled seductively.  “Uh… Oh Seto! Johnson just called; he needs you back in the office ASAP.” Mokuba shouted, thinking quick on his feet.  Disappointed, Alena quickly planted a kiss on Seto’s lips and waved goodnight.

As they drove home, Mokuba pointed out to Seto that Alene was very nice and charming during their goodbyes. But right as the door was closing, Mokuba caught a glimpse of the Russian heirs chucking her cellphone at her assistant and shouted something degrading.  Seto nodded in response by quickly dismissed it afterwards, not wanting to be caught up in something so petty. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Who the fuck is this?” Ana croaked hoarsely into her cell phone; furious at the unknown caller who just interrupted her peaceful slumber.  “You greet your mother with that mouth?” A deep voiced rumbled from the other line. “Kaiba?” “That’s President Kaiba to you, you disrespectful halfwit.”

Ana sat up in her bed and checked her clock; it was 4:30 in the morning.  “I need you to get ready and be outside within 10 minutes.” Seto ordered. Ana peek out her window and confirmed she wasn’t dreaming. Right in front of her apartment was the very same Lamborghini Urus she had rode in previously, with Seto’s familiar silhouette in the back seat.   “I don’t work on Sundays.” she snapped, her unintentional rudeness a side effect of her grogginess.  “If you’re not out of your apartment by 4:40 with a suitcase in hand, mark my words, you will be fired.”. “Like now?”. “NOW!”

Ana scrambled out of bed and sprinted towards her closet.  “Where are we going?” she asked, frantically tetris-ing stuff into her suitcase, “9 minutes.” was all that responded.  Zipping up her suitcase, Ana rushed into her bathroom and grabbed her spare bag of makeup and toiletries.  “How long are we gone for?” “5 minutes.”  Irritated by his lack of help, Ana threw her phone on the bed and freshen up as fast as she could, forgetting to press the [End] button.  At the 2-minute mark, Seto could hear a loud thud followed by her yelping and a symphony composed of the world’s most colorful expletives.  _‘English, German, Chinese, Spanish, Hindi….’_ Seto listed as Ana spouted a string of profanities over her speaker.  When she finished, he counted 9 languages total, with a few he was unable to discern. 

With a suitcase in one hand, Ana slung her backpack over the shoulder as she dashed towards the car, limping slightly.  The driver relieved her of the suitcase and stashed it in the trunk as she climbed inside. 

“Ohayōgozaimasu President Kaiba, how are you doing on this fine lovely morning.” Ana greeted sarcastically as she settled next to Seto.  “Good!” The still groggy Ana suffered a mini heart attack as Mokuba popped over the front seat like a crazed jack in the box, his head bobbing up and down. “Settle down Mokuba.” Seto warned ominously as he gave Ana a quick glare.  _‘Geez, somebody needs to get this Blue-Eyed White Asshole a coffee.’_  Ana rolled her eyes and buckled herself in.

 

* * *

 

 

Seto finally gave in to Mokuba and agreed to take Ana to Moscow with them, but not before having his ears nagged off by his little brother about it.  Mokuba suspected his brother of having a positive impression of Ana and wanted to her with them in Russia to help keep Seto happy (and because he liked being around her as well).  Happy to hear the reluctant “yes” from his Nii-Sama, Mokuba had no idea his incessant pleading had done more harm than good.  Seto didn’t the idea of having Ana tag along, purely because he felt like her presence was forced upon him. 

As they neared her apartment, Seto was shocked to see the area Ana was residing in.  How was she able to afford a two-story condo in the middle of Ginza?  Rich parents? Inheritance from dead rich parents?  But none of that showed up on her background check.  Looking closer at the cars parked in her driveway, Seto saw the Bentley Bentayga he was familiar with, and next to it, an "Aston Martin One-77?!” Mokuba exclaimed, also shocked to see the $3 million-dollar car sitting so casually in Ana's drive way.  Upon closer inspection, Seto noticed a tiny _MoSAIC_ logo stamped on the rear window of the One-77, easily overlookable if one wasn’t paying close attention.  

Livid, Seto’s mind raced as he started piecing all the clues together.  Car, apartment, Mikhail, _MoSAIC_ , the auction dinner… _‘This gold digger has been seeing Mikhail this whole time!’_   How else could she afford all of this?  And her refusal to be driven home after the auction dinner?  He would’ve seen Mikhail’s car in her driveway that night, and she would’ve been outed right then and there.  _‘Yes, it all makes sense now!’_

Despite his reservations about Ana’s trustworthiness, Seto never said he didn’t enjoy her as a person.  He thought about their chess match often, of how much challenge she had brought back into his life, how endearing her face was while focusing intently on her moves, how great she smelled, and how tantalizing she looked as she bit down on her luscious pink lips.  And the day she showed up to support him at the Championship; the way she smiled at him; and how angry he got at the Marchesi brothers for knocking her around.

 

At this moment, Seto felt betrayed.


	16. Chika Chika Slim Shady

“I can’t go, my final proposal defense is tomorrow.” Ana protested firmly as Mokuba announced the itinerary for the next two weeks, flabbergasted at their inconsiderateness.  Not only that, if she went, she’d be forced to spend Christmas away from her only family AND she’d be missing his birthday as well.  

“Cancel it.” Seto ordered simply, staring nonchalantly out the window.  

“I can’t, it’s been scheduled for months.”

“I don’t care.”

“If I miss this, I’ll have to wait a whole another year before I can defend again.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“And I’ll miss my brother’s birthday!”

“Too bad.”

Ana paused as the rage that had Bill laid bloody on the design floor started bubbling inside of her. “Let me get this straight,” she said, her voice calm despite her rising anger. “you wake me up at 4 o’clock in the morning, blackmail me into getting in your car, refuse to let me leave, and expects me stick around for two weeks while you wine and dine some rich girl from Russia?” 

Finally turning around to face her, Seto glared “And?” he questioned, looking down at Ana as if she was the dirt beneath his feet.  “Seto I-” Mokuba interrupted but was immediately silenced as Seto threw him a threatening glare; Mokuba had no right to speak on this matter, as he was the one who begged for her to come along; and for that, he must deal with the consequences.

“And if I just leave?”

“You’ll be fired and kicked out of your program.”

Trying to remain cool, Ana breathed deeply.  This can’t be real, she told herself, why is he being such an asshole to her? What had she done?  Realizing there’s no use arguing with the man, Ana took a moment and worked up the courage to do something she absolutely detested, only as a last resort.  

“Please.” She said quietly, the word escaped her mouth awkwardly as her own brain struggled against her pleading.

No response.

Ana’s determination wavered as Seto maintained his silence, humiliated by her momentary weakness.  But Christmas has always held a special place in the sibling’s hearts.  Since the passing of their parents on Christmas eve, Mikhail and Ana had always spent the holiday together as a family, both to commemorate their parents, and as a silent reassurance to each other that they will always have each other’s backs. 

Risk losing more face for the sake of family, Ana let go of her pride as she addressed the man before her earnestly.  “Mr. Kaiba. No. Seto, please.  It’s for my family, Christmas is much more than just a holiday to my brother and I.  It’s….it’s also the anniversary of my parent’s passing. Please don’t do this.  I beg of you, a….as a….” Ana hesitated as she struggled to say her next word. “…as a friend.” she pleaded, trying her best to hold her composure.

 

 

Seto felt a knot forming at the pit of his stomach as Ana implored him to let her go.  His brain was having trouble comprehending Ana’s words. _‘Did…did she just call me Seto? and…her friend?’_ a surge of emotions welled up inside him as he tried to make sense of her revelation; Ana had just admitted to returning his unspoken feelings for her. _‘Friend.’_ he repeated.  It’s been such a long time since anyone has referred to him as a friend, Seto has no idea what to do with any of this information.  He knew her parents were dead but _‘She has a brother?’_ That can’t be, it didn’t show up on any of her background checks.  But the glimmer in her eyes as she spoke of him shone exactly like Mokuba’s whenever he talked about Seto. 

 

 _‘_ _No!’_ He yelled in his head, reminding himself of her relationship with Mikhail.

Channeling every ounce of his will power, Seto regained control of his emotions.

‘ _I’m not going to fall for this, she’s trying to trick me!’_ Seto clinched his fists tightly and gathered himself together.

“Friends? With me?” he scoffed, mocking Ana’s sincerity with his loathing glare. “I don’t know what kind of fantasy world you’re living in, but I would never be friends with someone like you.”

Ana’s felt though as if his words had just punched her in the chest.  Seto hesitated as Ana gazed up at him dolefully, and he could tell she was deeply hurt by what he had just said.  But it was too late to go back on his words now.

“But keep on begging though, it suits you.  Did you learn that from your brother and dead parents as well?”

 

Mokuba watched with trepidation as Ana’s face went dark.  Her eyes suddenly expressionless as she stared lifelessly at them, a like mannequin head on display. 

“S…Seto? Ana?” Mokuba asked cautiously, completely dumbfounded by what had the hostile exchange that had just transpired before him. 

“I’m sorry for the interruption Mr. Kaiba,” the driver announced, “but we’ve arrived.”

 

* * *

 

The brothers boarded their private jet with Ana trailing close behind.  Alena greeted them eagerly with smiles and kisses but stopped as the broodingly beautiful girl followed them through the door.  “Who is this, my darling?” she smiled, lagging onto Seto’s arms, but her eyes narrowed viciously. “Does it matter?” he huffed, walking away towards the lounge.  Taking this as a sign of Ana’s unimportance, Alena lips form a malevolent smile as she darted Ana a venomous glare, taking care to make sure Seto didn’t see.

 

Ana sat near the edge of the lounge as the plane took off.  There were quite a few people seated on the flight, most of them part of Alena’s entourage. Mokuba took the seat directly opposite of hers as she opened her laptop.  “Ana?” he asked quietly, she looked up him without speaking, her smile was warm, but her eyes were cold.  “Are you ok?” he continued, his voice quivering slightly from nervousness.  Ana nodded, but her smile remained plastic.

“Mokuba! Come join us!” Alena’s friend ran over and tugged on his arm.  “Sorry, I’m busy at the moment.” he answered awkwardly, trying to brush the girl off.  “With her?” the girl squawked, sounding rather insulted by his answer.  Ana’s eyes traveled up slowly as Alena’s friend continued to pester Mokuba; the attractive blonde girl leered back at her as she waved around her a diamond encrusted phone in her hands.  Ana was sure she’d seen her before, probably one of Mikhail’s one-night stands.  “Sorry Tatiana, I’ll be over soon.” Mokuba sighed. “Ok! Join us soon! I want you on my snapchat.” Ana resumed to her work as the pretty blond winked at Mokuba and returned to her group friends.   Having been around enough of those spoiled rich brats, Ana wasn’t even marginally bothered by her prissy attitude. 

 

“Do you guys see what she’s wearing?” “Let me guess, she shops at _Wal-Mart_.” one of the girls drawled, making fun of Ana’s Americanized accent. “She doesn’t even own a purse.” “Hey Sasha, that’s not nice, she’s poor.” fits of giggles erupted from the back corner as the girls mocked Ana.  Through her headphones, Ana could hear snippets of their conversation as the girls chatted away in Russian. Unbothered, she turned up her volume as the dulcet lyrics of the renowned wordsmith Slim Shady drowned them out with his angsty rhythms.  Seto tended to his morning emails and tried to ignore them as well, but their nasty little comments did not go unnoticed to him. 

Mokuba frowned, having finally been clued in on what’s happening.  So what if Ana isn’t wearing designer clothes or expensive jewelry? She totally exceeded his expectations for someone who only had 10 minutes to get ready. _‘At least she looks good regardless of what she’s wearing.’_ Mokuba thought bitterly as he sauntered over to the group of girls, hoping his presence would put an end to their snide little tirades.

Seto would’ve agreed. Plus, being an avid techie, Seto knew the gear Ana was carrying with her was worth more than any of their outfits combined; her laptop alone had to have cost more than $350,000; her headphones are at least $100,000; and her tablet probably retailed around $75,000; all of her stuff are obviously custom handmade by some of the most exclusive electronics builders in the world.   _‘But it’s Scholtz’s money.’_ Seto fumed, knowing who probably bought her everything.

  

* * *

 

 

“….Mikhail Scholtz!....” Ana snatched away her headphone as her brother’s name being shouted out loud.   “What kind of half-breed idiot has a Russian first name and a German last name?” Following the sound of the earsplitting giggle, Ana’s eyes narrowed as she spotted Seto perched in the center of the lounge, Alena talking loudly as she cozied up by his side.  Her group friends scattered around them like courtiers, vying for the attention of the King and Queen.

“Why not just call yourself Michael? _Mikhail?_ ” the girls giggled as they followed her lead mindlessly.  Seto sniggered, obviously enjoying Alena’s mockery of Ana’s brother.

 

As Alena leaned her head against Seto’s shoulders, Ana’s memories of her suddenly clicked.  She now recalled walking in on a passed out naked Alena in her own bed at home months ago.  Mikhail had brought her home for a one-night stand but refused to date her after finding out she was screwing his friends behind his back.  This bitch is STILL bitter about that?

 

“Oh, and let me tell you guys,” the blond from earlier suddenly whispered dramatically, waving everyone in.  “I’ve seen his thing,” She leaned in closer, “and it’s dismal.” she held out her pinky for everyone to see. 

The stylus in Ana’s hand snapped as the people around her roared with laughter.  Mikhail may be a shameless playboy, but he has always been an absolute gentleman about it.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a one-night stand or a long-term relationship, he never divulged any of his partner’s secrets, not even to his sister, let along speak so derogatorily of them.  _‘Dismal my ass.’_  Ana was sure she’s heard Tatiana scream bloody murder about Mikhail’s _Russian Stallion_ while getting railed by him one night.  Taking a mental note to warn Mikhail about sleeping around too much, Ana replaced her headphones and forced herself to refocus on her work. 

Seto glanced over as Ana peeled her eyes away from them, the broken pieces of the stylus falling from her hands.  He continued to watch as Ana held her fingers to her mouth, legs shaking and breathing slowly.   _‘So she does care about that bastard.’_   Seto seethed, a feeling of jealousy washed over him. 

  

* * *

 

 

Unlike her friends, Alena was much cleverer and more discrete with her bullying.  So accustomed to being the most intelligent, attractive, and wealthy girl in the room, the social media queen couldn’t help but feel resentment towards Ana, whom she found to possess more refined beauty than herself. 

Alena knew openly making fun of Ana would make her look bad, so she took to circling around the lounge and introduced herself to Seto’s staff members.  She stopped as she reached Ana’s booth and sat across from her like Mokuba did previously. “Hello, I’m Alena, what’s your name?”  Ana’s eye twitched as Alena flashed her a phony saccharin smile. “Ana.” she answered simply.  At the sound her name, Alena’s eyes widened and glanced over at Seto, could this be the girl he spoke of in the car that night?  “Oh… ok.” Alena nodded knowingly, her eyes becoming cold.  

“So,” she continued, looking back at Ana “how do you like your flight so far? Much better than flying commercial huh?” Alena giggled facetiously, grabbing Ana’s hands like they’re some sort of best friends. “Indeed.” Ana responded blandly, playing along.  “Your v-neck is so cute, where did you get it from?” “Walmart.”

Alena pursed her lips, unsure of how to proceed as the young girl sat undauntingly before her.  While Alena considered her next move, the flight attendants filed into the lounge and distributed breakfast menus to everyone.

“Oh! Let me help you!” Alena moved across the table and forcibly sat in Ana’s booth.  She laid her menu down in front of them and pointed her finger to each item.  “This is keesh (quiche), it’s sort of like an eggy pie; this is crape (crêpe), it’s basically a sugary flat pancake; and this is a soo-flei (soufflé)…” Alena pronounced every item slowly, her tone deliberately mocking Ana as if she was some kind of a peasant toddler. “…but the best scones I’ve ever had are from Le Méridien in Monaco, have you ever been?” Alena finished with a smirk, knowing Ana could never afford a meal at the 3 Michelin start restaurant. “Never.” Ana answered insipidly and with zero appetite, proceeded to hand back the menu as she thanked the flight attendant. 

A little unnerved by Ana’s unhinged attitude, Alena upped her antagonization.  “And what do _you_ do at Kaiba Corp.” she emphasized, her tone becoming more derisive.  

“I’m President Kaiba’s personal assistant, didn’t he tell you?” Ana announced, knowing her answer would irk the already seething Alena.  “but what do _you_ do?” she continued, her tone jabbing.  “I don’t see much assisting done.” The czarina snapped, unable to contain her anger any longer.  “I will assist President Kaiba when it’s necessary.” Ana answered coolly, looking over at her boss expectantly but Seto ignored her out of spite.  “Seems like the President is in a charitable mood today.” Ana continued mockingly.  “But of course, I will be there to assist him when he needs me to.” She repeated, returning Alena’s saccharine smile.

**  
**


	17. Oh Hiroka #2

Moscow at night sparkled like an enchanted forest as the city flickered with millions of festive fairy lights. Everywhere Ana looked, trees and building alike dazzled, draped in colorful garlands and streamers.  Ana meandered slowly through the almost empty city streets, leaving a trail of footprints in the freshly fallen snow; savoring her moment of peace after the hellish plane ride.  The clock tower chimed loudly from the city square, signaling the end of another workday for the locals, prompting Ana to quicken her pace.

“добрый вечер Aна, Здесь для некоторого шоколада? (good evening Ana, here for some chocolates)?” An elderly lady shouted gleefully as Ana jogged towards her stall.  “Добрый вечер, бабушка Петрова, как обычно, пожалуйста. (good evening grandma Petrov, the usual please).” Ana returned her greeting with a quick kiss on the cheek. 

Having family traditions had never been a thing in the Nikolaev family.  That being said, Ana clung onto one sacred rule; Christmas wouldn’t be complete without having Grandma Petrov’s desserts after dinner.  She never had the chance to discuss the origins of this tradition with her parents before their passing, but she was sure it had something to do with her father’s Russian heritage.

The smiling babushka pardoned herself for a moment and returned with a box of her special chocolates, Turkish delights, and many other traditional Russian dessert items.  “Я приготовил это для тебя и Миши (I prepared it just for you and Misha).” she beamed, enthusiastically shoving the carefully wrapped box into Ana’s arms.  “Нет (No)!” she said firmly, shaking her head as Ana took out her wallet.  A few years ago, an unfortunate accident had caused Grandma Petrov’s house/shop duplex to burn completely, destroying all of her family’s belongings.  Having always considered her more of a surrogate grandmotherly figure, the Nikolaev siblings fully financed Grandma Petrov and her family a brand-new home and sweets shop.  Ever since then, the kindly grandmother had refused any form of payments from them and would bake a giant box of delicious holiday treats for them whenever Christmas neared. 

Ana accepted the baked goods graciously and bid the old woman good night.  She held on tightly as she made her way back to the hotel, taking special care to not slip on the snow-covered streets.  Thinking about how excited Mikhail was going to be for this year’s goodies, Ana’s mood dropped abruptly as she deliberated on how she was going to break the news of her absence to him.  Not wanting to face the inevitable, Ana turned the corner and decided to take the longer route back.

 

* * *

 

 

Seto sat alone in the hotel lobby as other guests gradually retreated to their rooms for the night.  He gazed lazily out of the floor to ceiling window as he admired the breathtaking view of the city, savoring the quiet serenity of the now fully emptied lobby lounge.  

Despite the witching hour rapidly approaching, Seto couldn’t sleep, not with so much on his mind. 

First, he was quite ill prepared for his meeting with the Russian oligarch Ivan Krevchanko tomorrow morning, which had been rescheduled to occur much sooner than he had anticipated. Second, after unwittingly listened in on one of Alena’s phone conversations with her father, Seto could tell Ivan was quite unhappy about their meeting, loudly expressing his apprehension of having to entertain yet another one of Alena’s new boyfriends.  On top of all that, the valuable time Seto had set aside to prepare for his upcoming Duel Disk X unveiling had been stolen from him after Alena added the 6 extra days to their trip without his knowledge.

Resting his elbow on the armrest, Seto closed his eyes momentarily and leaned his head against his knuckles.  Straining to stay awake as he forced himself to work, he eventually gave into temptation as exhaustion forced him into a desperately needed slumber.

Some time had passed before a hand took Seto by the shoulder and gently shook him awake.  Blinking, Ana’s familiar features came into focus as his own eyes adjusted to the lobby’s scintillating surroundings.  “You’ll catch a cold.” her soothing voice sighed as she picked up his laptop and tugged his arm softly. The faint chimes of a grandfather clock could be heard echoing from the entrance lobby, announcing the time to be 5 o’clock. 

“I don’t need your help.” He snapped, pulling Ana away by her hand, nearly knocking the box of sweets out from under her arms.  Snowflakes fell from her head as Ana bent over to keep balance, the frozen white crystals contrasted sharply against her dark espresso curls.   She shuddered slightly as Seto curled his hands around her own, rescuing her once again from the cold.  The sudden warmth thawed her icicle like fingers which were stinging with pain just a few seconds ago.   Was it intentional on Seto’s part??  Or was he just too tired to realize what he was doing?  Regardless, Ana’s mittenless hands were quickly released as Seto’s eyes caught the Christmas sticker that was affixed to the box, the inscription reading: _[For Ana and Misha, Merry Christmas]._

“Who is Misha?” Seto asked bitterly, still harboring resentment against her and automatically assuming the worst.  Hearing only crickets, Seto mistook Ana’s silence as an admission of guilt,  an unfortunate assumption since Ana was simply busy contemplating a satisfactory answer for him.  Without hearing her answer, Seto stormed off towards the elevators.

 

With his laptop still in her hands, Ana chased after Seto. They stood in silence as the elevator started moving, taking what felt to be an eternity longer than usual to reach the top floor.  Surrounded by reflective wall panels, Seto scowled as he observed Ana becoming increasingly despondent as they ascended.  Having never felt this way towards anyone before, Seto suppressed his urge to vocalize these concerns to her; taking such action felt too foreign for an elitist such as himself to do.  Seto hated how much he had allowed Ana to fill and control his thoughts and emotions, thinking that perhaps putting some distance between them would help liberate his mind.  Looking away, Seto forced himself to plan for tomorrow’s work instead, leaving Ana to steep in her silence. 

* * *

 

 

Once they had reached the top landing, the laptop was abruptly snatched out of Ana’s still frozen hands, and without so much as a thank you she was elbowed aside as Seto unlocked the doors to his presidential suite.  “Good night, Mr. Kaiba.” Ana uttered, an autonomous action at this point, just as Seto slammed the door in her face. 

Ana stood in the hot shower as she mulled over what had transpired the day before.  If the trip had taught her anything so far, it was to expect nothing but hell for the next two weeks.  Now that her personal affairs had been all screwed up, it didn’t help that Alena had been nothing but downright nasty to her from the beginning. Unable to ignore or walk away from her, the prissy heiress’s humiliating comments bothered Ana far more than usual, her preferred solutions having been rendered unrealistic in this situation.  This whole shitshow bothered her; she never took Seto for someone who would tolerate the “mean-girl” stereotypes, let alone date one. Recalling how Seto admonished her for her “unprovoked” rudeness towards Alena, Ana understood it was an indirect order for her to suffer in silence.  Yet, despite his callousness, Ana couldn’t let Seto sleep in an open lobby, while having not the slightest idea of why she felt compelled to do so. 

 

* * *

 

Ana could swear that Seto’s precious Egyptian gods were set on punishing her as she answered a frantic knock at her door.  Jenny, a recently promoted secretary acting as Hiroka’s temporary replacement, barged into Ana’s room and flung a pile of Seto’s clothes onto her bed.  “I don’t know what to do Ana.” she bit her nails nervously, pacing around the room.  In bits and pieces, Jenny to explained how a drunken Tatiana has somehow managed to spill something onto one of Seto’s luggage bags, dirtying his entire stash of business suits.  Normally, something like this would have been easily resolved by a quick visit to the local shops, but the inexperienced Jenny was unable to locate such resources so deep into the night.  “He’s meeting Ivan Krevchanko in less than 4 hours; He said he’ll fire me if I can’t resolve this by morning.” “But this isn’t your fault.” Ana frowned, thinking she wouldn’t have panicked like this if she was in Jenny’s position.  “Do you think Mr. Kaiba cares about whose fault it is?” 

Honestly? “No.” Ana sighed. As his assistant, the hopelessly unreasonable Seto would probably blame her for this too.  At her suggestion to go and wake Seto, Jenny hastily waved her hands in protest. 

“No! Hiroka warned me to never do that unless absolutely necessary, Mr. Kaiba hates having his sleep interrupted.”

 _‘Well ain’t that a bitch.’_ The compassion Ana felt towards Seto earlier slowly dissipating, remembering how he had woken her so unceremoniously just the day before. Now she must sacrifice yet another night of sleep while he gets to nap in peace just down the hall.

Entering crisis mode, Ana instructed Jenny to get some rest as she pushed her out the door, “I got this, just know you own me own one.”  Ana closed the door forcefully; she knew having Jenny’s jittery ass around will just make things more difficult for the both of them.  

Under such a time crunch, Ana knew there was no time to procure a whole new outfit, let alone one tailored to Seto’s size.  Picking out the least soiled of the bunch, Ana dialed the concierge and inquired about the hotel’s laundry services.  “I’m sorry ma’am. Indeed, our facility does offer emergency laundry services, but I’m afraid we are not equipped to comfortably handle this kind of expensive custom-made items.”  

Ana browsed through the rest of Seto’s luggage and was miffed by the fact that every single one of his outfits seemed to cost at least $20,000.  With his hands tied, the concierge offered Ana an alternative solution; the hotel would provide any cleaning services necessary as long as Ana was the one who provided specific cleaning instructions.  “I can send our head laundry supervisor to your room with supplies and the waiver if you would like.”  With now less than 3 hours to spare, Ana took the risk, hoping that between her and the supervisor they would be able to figure out how to clean the suit without damaging the fabric.

 

* * *

 

 

“Sir, Madam, your breakfast.” The waiter placed an assortment of breakfast items on table as Alena took a seat across from Seto.  “I’m so sorry about last night.” she smiled apologetically as she sipped on her coffee, completely embarrassed by Tatiana’s accident.  “It’s fine.” he answered, but his sullen expression did not match his answer. 

As they finished their breakfast, a small knocked sounded at the door as Ana walked into the breakfast room with Seto’s Dormeuil Vanquish II suit in her hands. Mumbling some generic greeting to the two lovebirds, Ana strolled past them without looking and headed to the master bedroom suite.  She could hear Alena scoffing about something behind her, but she was too worn-out to care.

“Are you deaf?” Seto asked as he walked in behind her, arms cross.  “Only when you talk like a mute.” She replied, having no clue the hell he’s yabbering about.  In truth Seto didn’t say anything to Ana beforehand, he just enjoyed watching her get so bothered by his deliberate annoyances.  Before, he could respond, Alena butted in with a lame joke of her own, ruining a perfectly good comeback had Seto prepared.

Angry Seto didn’t find her funny, Alena wrenched the sparkling clean suit out of Ana’s hands and hung it next to her enormous collection of couture dresses.  Ana winced as the burn on her finger grazing the edge of a hanger.  Holding herself still for a few seconds, Ana closed her eyes and suppress her impulse to cry out as a shock of pain shot up her arm.  Ignoring them, Ana took a seat in the living room, closing her eyes for a moment of rest.

“Thank you.” Ana’s catnap was disrupted as she heard Seto’s voice next to her.  Thinking he was addressing her, she looked up but realized he was only thanking Alena for adjusting his tie.  Upset and sick of this thankless job, the worn-out Ana moped in the corner, wondering how long much more she can tolerate more before she finally gives up.

 

 


	18. Hungry Hungry Hippo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made some small edits since the first upload (07/14/19), please enjoy!

The initial meeting with Ivan Krevchanko went as expected, with the old man receiving Seto begrudgingly as his daughter jabbered on about nothing.  “Daddy, please say something.” She ordered playfully, as her father eyed Seto with disapproval.  Distrustful of their sudden budding romance, Ivan didn’t think much of their relationship but respectfully chatted away, not wanting his daughter to lose face.  Ivan was no novice when it comes to his daughter’s boyfriends; his years of practice in the business had trained him to sniff out people who he suspected of having ulterior motives.

At around 11:00AM, Ivan Krevchanko’s mood lit up considerably as his business protégée joined them for a visit.  Standing up to greet the sharply dressed dirty blonde, Ivan smiled proudly as he made introductions, “Kaiba, this brilliant young man here is my protégée Aleksei Vasiliev, the man who is to be the successor of my empire one day.”  Alex smiled charmingly as he and Seto shook hands.  Seto should’ve known the conservative Krevchanko would’ve never allowed his daughters to take over his media empire; after all, tradition dictated that the oligarchs to pass down their businesses to male heirs only.   

“I believe we’ve met before.” Alex mused as Alena rushed past Seto and hugged him excitedly, “at the charity auction.” Alex finished as he quickly returned Alena’s hug with much less enthusiasm. “I believe so.” Seto said coolly as Alex’s eyes darted curiously between him and Alena. 

 “I think that’s enough for today.” Ivan suddenly interrupted, wanting no more of his time wasted with more useless chatter. “You may leave,” he waved dismissively at Seto, before turning to his daughter, “Alena, I need to talk to you” Ivan looked sternly at his daughter as she followed him out of the guest room, fully intent on giving Alena a good lecture about her overly promiscuous behavior.

 

Outraged that he was dismissed so unceremoniously, Seto stormed out of the Krevchanko’s great room and sat quietly in the backseat of his limo as he waited for Alena.   “I know, I’m really sorry.”  Ana’s voice came within his earshot as she paced slowly with her phone glued to her ear. “I’ll make it up to you I promise, I’ll even save all of grandma Petrov’s treats for you.” Ana laughed as the person on her other line made a joke of some sort.  “Ok, alright, love you bye.” Her smiled faded as she hung up the phone.

“Hey Ana! What on god's earth are you doing here?” Alex sprinted over and hugged Ana tightly, acting much friendlier than he was with Alena, with Seto watching in bewilderment.  “Alex!” Ana greeted, a wide smile returning to her face. 

“Misha texted me just now, he says you’re not going home for Christmas this year.” As they struck up a conversation, Seto sat back quietly, his brow furrowing as he listened. _‘So she does have a brother named Misha.’_ he thought, recanting his hasty assumption of their relationship from last night.  “What happened here?” Alex questioned as he carefully lifted Ana’s hand, addressing the circular red mark on her left ring finger.   “I burned it while doing wifely duties last night.”, “Yeah right, be honest, were you soldering stuff you shouldn’t again?”, “I was ironing a suit, and who the hell told you about the soldering incident!?”

The gratitude Seto felt as he looked down at his sharply pressed suit transformed into rage as he watched Ana grin at the man in front of her; a puppyish smile she had never shown him before. ' _Dammit, stop touching her!’_ Seto thought angrily Alex brushed a strand of hair out of Ana’s face

“It’s shaped like an oval-cut ruby," Alex mused as he held onto Ana’s delicate fingers, examining her burn up close. "is that my hint?” he teased, an obvious joke about an engagement ring.  With the tip of her tongue lingering by the corner of her lips, Ana narrowed her eyes seductively and pulled Alex in by his tie.  

At this sight of this {}Seto hastily straightened himself in the backseat and leaned in towards the window, his eyes tracing Ana's lips as she whispered inches away from Alex's face, "What more hints do you need?".  Her lips puckered slightly as she dragged her hands down, pulling Alex in for a kiss.  Strange it may appear to be, this was nothing but an inside joke between them; something they would do to deliberately annoy Mikhail.  "Smooth, but next time but don't pull on my tie, you're choking me." Alex whispered back as he grabbed Ana's hands, his response undetected by Seto as he was busy glaring at Ana.

From his own recollections, Seto couldn't recall seeing Ana exhibit any sort of friendliness toward her male co-workers (or anyone else for that matter) besides himself.  Being so used to having a monopoly on Ana's attention, a surge of anger flashed through Seto as he watched her act so affectionately to another man of her own free will.  Seto's shaking hands hastily reached for the window switch. He had never been one to share, and he had no plans to start now.

But before he could press the switch however, Alena’s voice rang out of nowhere, her tone much nastier than usual.

“You know this broad Alex?”  Alena glared as she stormed towards them.

 _‘Oh god, fuck off for once!’_  Sick of Alena’s bullshit, Ana jumped ahead and answered before Alex could respond, “No he doesn’t.” she replied politely, not wanting to exacerbate the situation any further.  “Then learn to keep your hands to yourself, slut.” Alena hissed under her breath as she pushed between them and yanked open the car door. “S..Seto!” her voice stuttered as she realized he was watching them this entire time, mistaking his livid appearance for her ‘slut’ comment towards Ana.

With jealousy coursing through his veins, Seto responded the only way he knew how, “That’s right Nikolaev, stop acting like a whore, isn’t doing one billionaire enough?” Wanting her attention and wanting to show Alex up, Seto tried to play his insult off as an agreement to Alena. In truth, he had secretly hoped to provoke Ana into one of their usual friendly banters, something he had been missing dearly for the past few miserable days.  But, with nothing but scowls from Ana, he was treated to another bout of silence by her instead.

“Who the hell are you talking to?” Alex snapped. No one had ever spoken so derogatorily to his best friend’s little sister before.  “Let it go.” Ana whispered under her breath as Alena got into the car with Seto, who made no attempts to acknowledge her as she climbed into the seat beside him. “Apologies Vasiliev, my employees are usually much more well trained than this.  I will make sure Nikolaev suffer the consequences for wasting your time.” Seto smirked, ignoring his questions. 

Respecting Ana’s wishes, Alex said nothing as he glared at the seated couple. “Kaiba.” He nodded curtly. “Vasiliev.” Seto mimicked the same gesture as Alena slammed close the door.

 

* * *

 

Insisting on a tour of Moscow, Alena walked side by side with Seto as they meandered through the gorgeous city.  Not wanting to jeopardize his chances with Ivan, Seto feigned interest as Alena blathered away, acting as their tour guide.  But even the fascinating history and the vibrant architecture couldn’t distract Seto from thinking about Ana, who was tired and hungry and struggling to keep pace behind them.

 _‘Why her?’_ Ana thought bitterly as she typed away on her screen, trying to explain the situation to a fuming Alex.  Finally looking up from her phone, Ana balled her uninjured hand into a fist as the Seto and Alena linked arms before her, seemingly enjoying each other’s company. 

He had enjoyed his time with her too, didn’t he?   _‘Not really.’_ She recalled, considering how Seto never cracked a smile except to mock her.  _‘Forget it, he pretty much admitted to hating you.’_ Ana shook her head as she followed behind, upset at her lack of willpower to defend herself and to keep him out of her mind. 

 

As the day progressed, the shadow under Ana’s eyes grew darker and darker, a telltale sign that she had gone the last 38 hours without sleep. Additionally, Seto couldn't recall seeing Ana eat anything during that time either.  By dinner time, Ana’s voice sounded much weaker than usual as she catered to Alena’s many ridiculous demands.  Despite his bitterness towards her, Seto was concerned for Ana’s famished state, but felt powerless to do anything about it as Alena had stuck to him like a barnacle all evening. _‘Where is Mokuba when you need him?’_ Seto groaned internally, knowing full well Mokuba was busy coordinating with Roland in running Kaiba Corp during his absence.   

 

* * *

 

 

Back at the hotel and having finally gotten rid of Alena for the night, Seto called Ana into his dining room as room service dropped off some dinner.  As a butler lifted the cloche, Ana narrowed her eyes in disbelief _‘What the?’_ Ana was not sure if it was a coincidence or Seto had done a lot more research on her than she had expected; more than half of the items set before Ana were some of her absolute favorite foods.  “Stop acting like a brat and eat something.” Seto ordered firmly, aggravated that she had chosen to starve herself. 

Confused by Seto’s sudden generosity and thoughtfulness, Ana wasn’t sure if she should be creeped out, impressed, or grateful.  “I’m not hungry.” Ana answered defiantly, still unable to muster up an appetite for the past 2 days; although the ice cream looked very tempting.

Infuriated by her disobedience and her gallingly unyielding attitude, Seto growled as he rounded on Ana.  “Why are you so damn stubborn?” he barked, exasperated at her mulishness, but also out of genuine concern for her health. 

Ana, however, wasn't buying it and look at him coolly, “Why do you care?” she snapped back.

 _‘Why DO I care?’_ Unable to answer this question for himself, Seto gave Ana one last chance.  “If you don’t eat something within the next minute, you will be fired.”  Being so accustomed to hearing this and having him never follow through, Ana was no longer scared of Seto’s empty threats.  

“Go ahead, fire me.”  

“Fine then! Starve!” Giving up, Seto shouted as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door close behind him. wondering why he ever bothered.


	19. Let Them Eat Cake

The debilitating Russian winter plus the strict schedule she was forced to adhere to is not exactly her idea of a relaxing holiday.  Unaccustomed to being ordered around like a lowly servant, Ana stared at her half-packed suitcase, debating if she should drop Kaiba Corp and redo her internship with _MoSAIC_ instead.   _‘But that’ll just set me back even further.’_ She yawned as she closed her laptop, giving serious consideration to provide a generous “donation” (ahem, bribery), to expedite her PhD instead.

The unpleasant company Ana is forced to keep isn’t helping either.  Just last night, she witnessed the budding socialite roping Seto into a conversation by bringing up his chess matches and her interest in them.  The interaction bothered Ana deeply as she watched Alena’s exaggerated reactions while Seto taught her the rules of the game; a ridiculous notion since you can just freaking google the rules yourself.  On top of that, Ana’s almost insatiable need to answer her curiosities meant Seto’s perplexing behavior was driving her into a state of paranoia; one minute he’s offering her her favorite foods, another minute he’s chewing her out for no reason.  Why?? _‘You could just ask.’_ She thought, but being so unsure of Seto’s opinion of her, Ana didn’t want to take the risk.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from Ana’s phone, it was her turn to be on “guard duty”.  Taking over for Jenny, Ana took her seat in the living room of Seto’s suite, ready on standby to receive Mr. Kaiba’s orders. 

It’s boring to just wait around as someone’s beck and call.  To keep herself occupied, Ana opened her novel and pulled out a stack of sheet music from her folder.  She glanced back and forth between Nietzsche’s book, Also sprach Zarathustra, and the accompanying orchestral composition by Strauss; herself attempting to transcribe Strauss’s composition from woodwind to string instruments.

 “That’s wrong.” Ana’s pencil stopped moving as Seto’s voice sounded behind her, his pensive eyes remained transfixed to her papers as she turned around to face him.  “Which part?” she asked.  “The articulation for the Von der Wissenschaft chapter should be more legato.” Seto corrected as he leaned over to trace his fingers across the music notes, his tone of voice devoid of his usual coldness.   _‘Oh shoot, he’s right.’_ Ana furrowed her brows.  “How would you write it then?” she asked abrasively as she handed Seto the music score and the pencil.  He pushed it away lightly “Figure it out yourself, moron.”  He said with a scowl, although his eyes remained fixed on the paper.  “By the way, have dinner ready in 20 minutes.” His voice trailed off as he turned away and returned to work. 

 _‘Why does he keep doing that?’_ Ana looked on confusedly as she mused over Seto’s critique, bouncing her pencil up and down on her thigh.  Why does he always sour a good conversation or a fun challenge with this stupid acrid attitude of his?  _‘Ugh I’m at fault too I guess.’_ Ana sighed, recalling her overly aggressive tone when she demanded what he meant by more legato. 

Well, how does she herself respond whenever he barks something antagonistic at her? _‘With hostility or indifference.’_ Ana sighed to herself.  If Seto is anything like her, expecting him to be expressive with his feelings would be an impossibility.

 _‘Shit, he even treats Mokuba the same way.’_ Ana knew that despite his coldness towards his little brother, Seto wouldn’t hesitate to take a bullet for Mokuba. _‘That must suck.’_ She thought.  Everyone misinterprets his superficial detachment for genuine cold-hearted ness, no wonder why he doesn’t have any friends. _‘Pot calling the kettle black’._ Ana smirked. 

Thinking she has finally solved the mystery, Ana next tried to rationalize each and every single one of Seto’s negative interactions with her.  _‘Ok, so maybe he really wanted me to come along to Russia but instead of telling me, he just threatened me instead.  And after the championship chess match, he was probably too embarrassed to acknowledge how he defended me, so he drove off…’_

 _‘Enough about him, what about me?’_   Ana exhaled deeply as she forced a confession out of herself. 

_‘I like him.’_

Despite his callousness, Ana always ends up cheering and caring for Seto.  Regardless if the feeling is platonic or romantic, she really liked being around the unbearable jerk. 

 

* * *

 

 

 _‘Oh shit! Dinner!’_ being so engrossed in her thoughts, Ana had totally forgot to call for room service.  Thankfully, the kitchen staff had already started prepped Seto’s dinner in anticipation. “It’s no problem Ms. Nikolaev, Mr. Kaiba has been ordering the same dish for the last few years whenever he’s visited us, we’re used to his schedule by now.” The maitre d' reassured Ana, “The… same dish every time?” her incredulous voice elicited a small chuckle from the other line. “Yes, every time.”  Ana never knew this weird quirk about her boss since it was normally Jenny’s job to get dinner ready. 

“What about dessert?” Ana questioned, “He never orders them.” “I see, thank you Mr. Volkov.”

 

 _‘That’s weird…’_ , Ana thought as she hung up the phone, always taking Seto for a secret sugar fiend.  His constant bouts of headaches, having energy despite skipping meals all the time, his weird mood swings…  Ana smiled deviously as an experiment brewed in her mind.

 

* * *

 

 

“Mr. Kaiba dinner is ready.” Jenny announced from the doorway, “Where is Ana?” Seto snapped as he capped his pen and closed his laptop.  Despite his annoyance with Ana’s apparent flirtatious attitude towards other men, after days of superficial interactions with the Russian socialite, Seto was yearning for some good conversation on a topic that wasn’t in of Alena’s choosing.   Discussing literature and music theory with Ana over dinner would’ve been the perfect antidote to his now mundane and stressful life.  Shit, he’d rather be playing chess with Ana than having to constantly teach Alena about something he was sure she had no interest in.

 

“Uh, Ms. Alena is still out shopping with Mr. Mokuba sir.” thinking she had misheard him, Jenny stammered.  Kaiba never refer to his employees by their first names, there’s no way he just called Ana by her’s.   “I asked for An-. Nevermind.” Seto sighed as he walked over to his lone dinner.  To his surprise, Seto spotted the book and music sheets Ana had left behind.  Dismissing Jenny from his suite, Seto gathered Ana’s works on the dinning room table and flipped through each page of her unfinished transcription as he tucked into dinner. 

 

Ana busied herself in a corner of the hotel’s massive kitchen as NERO spouted the ingredients into her earbuds.  [Don’t forget to add the cream.] NERO’s hollow voice chirped as Ana whisked the cake batter in front of her. “Uh huh.” She doused pan with heavy cream and pulled out 2 cake pans while doing so, rushing the cake into the oven, hoping it would bake in time before Seto finished his dinner. 

 

A small knock sounded at the door as Seto finished the last bite of his food. “What?” he snapped impatiently, thinking it was one of Alena’s assistants announcing her arrival; why does she insist on staying with him in the hotel anyways, doesn’t she have a rich dad who buys her expensive apartments around the city?  A muffled voice answered behind the door, something about a delivery. “Whatever, come in.”

Seto lowered the music sheets in his hands as the smell of warm rich chocolate filled the suite.  Ana strolled into the dinning room with an uncharacteristically gleeful smile and a giant cake box in her hands.  Seto watched in confusion as Ana moved aside his dinner plate and placed box before him, revealing a giant chocolate ganache cake. 

“Do you like chocolate Mr. Kaiba?” She asked.  Of course he does, heck even the occasional coffee he indulges in carries a cocoa undertone to it. 

Seto gave no answer but raised an eyebrow as he stared at Ana; this is one strange girl.  One minute she acts like a mute or responds only with impertinence, another minute she almost bites her lip off while looking at him like a piece of candy, and now this? 

Noticing his unflinching stare, Ana smirked.  “I’m not doing a staring competition today,” she said as she cuts into the cake, “I got cocoa powder in my eyes earlier.” Seto could see a slight redness around Ana’s iris. _‘She made this?’_ Not bad, for an amateur baker.

Stream rose steadily from the slice of freshly baked cake as it descended slowly before him. _‘Hmmm, her finger has healed.’_ Seto thought as Ana placed the slice of chocolate cake before him, the burn mark had now receded into a fading scar.

Stepping back, Ana observed with interest, _‘Come on, you know you want it.’_ she smiled as wave after wave of her cake’s enticing chocolatey goodness wafted through the air.  Slowly, she was beginning to decode the difference between Seto’s words and his honest intentions.  

Should he try a bite? Yes. Seto almost dropped of the pencil as he considered reaching for the fork.

 _‘Shit I almost slipped.’_  Seto scowled.

“Looks disgusting.” The insult was more out of self-defense than anything else. _‘Wow, he’s good.’_ The Seto spouts these insults with such conviction, almost causing Ana to break character and say something smart in return.  Reminding herself he probably doesn’t mean what he said, Ana bit her tongue.

“No it doesn’t.” Ana insisted playfully. “I don’t want any.” Seto grumbled but remained seated in his chair.

 _‘If you really hate it so much, you’d left already.’_ Ana smirked. 

He’s acting exactly how Ana did when Seto demanded her to eat dinner that one night; she dropped her stubborn attitude as soon as Seto left the room and wolfed down the food before her.

“I made it just for you Mr. Kaiba, not even one bite?” Ana dangled the fork before Seto playfully.

 _‘If she insists one more time, I’ll have some.’_ Seto concluded, thinking he can play it off as eating her cake the out of pity. “No.” he glared.

“Just try the damn cake.”

Seto smirked at Ana’s exasperation “If you insis-”

“Hey Seto, am I late for dinner?” An exhausted Mokuba interrupted as he slid open the door with an armful of designer shopping bags. _‘Go. Away.’_ Seto and Ana thought in unison as a smiling Alena followed behind; her cheeriness evaporated instantly at the sight of Ana.  

“Oh hi Ana.” Mokuba set aside Alena’s bags of luxury goods as he approached the dinner table. “What’s with the cake?” he asked, scratching the back of his head at the bizarre exchange before him.  Irked at the interruption, Ana turned away and rolled her eyes at the ceiling; dammit, Seto was so close to giving in!

“Apparently, Mr. Kaiba here has an aversion to chocolate.”  Ana dropped her façade and answered curtly as she started packing up the cake.  “What? No he doesn’t.” Mokuba whispered quietly with a raised an eyebrow as Seto stood to greet Alena. 

“He likes chocolate?” she whispered back.

“Oh yeah, I’ve seen him power through like 4 bars of chocolate the other day.” Mokuba giggled.

“I knew it!” Ana grinned, she was right all along.

“So what IS with the cake?  Looks delicious.”  Alena walked over to Ana with her infamous saccharine smile plastered all over her face, faking friendliness in front of Seto. 

“More like revolting.” Seto jeered from behind. 

 _‘Oh my gosh Seto, say something nice to Ana for once!’_ Mokuba sighed, exasperated at his older brother’s stubbornness knowing Seto would scarf down the cake if he was alone.

“I had it ordered it earlier today,” Mokuba shrugged, “I was craving some cake, Ana just brought it up that’s all, isn’t that right Seto?”  Mokuba enunciated the lats part of his question while darting Seto a look.  Playing along, Seto smirked, “And how much money did you waste on this monstrosity?” “Don’t know, charged it to the credit card.”  Mokuba replied quickly as his eyes pleaded Seto to stop, woefully aware of Ana’s rising annoyance as his older brother and Alena continued their taunting.  “Whatever.” He scoffed loudly as Alena walked over to the living room. 

Staying behind, Seto watched as Ana eyed her book and music sheets. “Leave that.” He suddenly ordered in a hushed voice once Alena was out of ear shot.  “Ok! I’m doing it right now!” Ana jabbed back in an equally hushed tone as she returned the uneaten slice of cake to the box, slamming the lid close and moving it off of the table.  “Not that, you idiot, this.” Seto pointed to Ana’s book and music manuscript laying on the dinner table.  “And leave the cake too.” He added hastily.  “Wh…why?” Ana stammered.  “Because your work is atrocious and needs a lot of corrections.” He hissed back as Ana cocked her head to the side, _‘Well shit…’_ she smiled reopening the cake box.

 “Seto? Come play chess with me! You promised!” Alena’s whiny voice interrupted from the other room. “Yeah Seto,” Ana mocked playfully in a sing-songy voice, “Play chess with meeee.” 

At last, Seto grinned internally as Ana started her long-awaited banter, “At least she keeps her eyes on the game.” he laughed as Ana’s eyes widened and her face flushed from being reminded of her crotch staring incident.

“That’s because playing against you was too boring.” Ana’s voice quivered, trying to recover from her embarrassment.  “Says the loser.” “Fine, I’ll beat you at your own game then.” Seto’s eyes widened at her challenge, “Duel monsters?” he questioned eagerly. But if he remembered correctly, Ana doesn’t play duel monsters.  Still, unburdened by his need to maintain his duel monster champion title, Seto felt nothing but pure excitement at her challenge, for once, it sounded…fun.

“I don’t play with losers Anna.” He teased. “Dammit it’s Ana not An-Na!... hold up, what did you call me?”  “Setooooo.” Alena whined again before Ana could react fully.

“Are you deaf?” Seto scoffed as he turned to leave, satisfied he’s gotten the last word.

 

 


	20. Do-Re-Mi

Early next morning, a trail gradually parted on the carpet next to Ana’s bed as she paced back and forth in her room.  What an idiot she was, why did she challenge Seto Kaiba to a damn duel?  Wasn’t it bad enough that she got her ass kicked in a game of chess by him?  Why oh why did she have to go and challenge the freaking duel monster legend himself in a game she never even played before?  _‘Why didn’t I pick something he’s bad at?’_ Scrabble? Catan? Mario cart? Literally anything else! _‘I don’t even own duel monster cards…’_ she paced even faster at the thought.

Unable to cope with her restlessness, Ana went out for a morning jog to the local game shop, hoping the fresh air and exercise would helper think clearer.  Cocooned in layers of protective clothing, Ana braced herself against the cold morning wind as she exited the hotel.

Christmas would’ve come early for the shop owner if he had bothered to open up as Ana intended on buying out the whole shop. Too bad the hours he had listed on google did not match his actual operating hours.  Disappointed, Ana bought herself a morning pastry at a local breakfast stall and munched grumpily as she scurried away back to the hotel.    

 

* * *

 

 

A habitual early riser, Seto sat alone again in the lobby lounge as he started replying to his morning emails.  Through the window before him, Seto spotted the distinct color of Ana’s dark brown hair as she entered the lounge.   _‘Why is she up so early?’_ Seto turned his head in her direction curiously. 

 _‘Idiot forgot her gloves again.’_ he sighed as Ana approached the baby grand piano near the back of the lounge and dropped her backpack beside it.  Neglecting to wear hand protection, Ana wanted to induce some blood flow to her hands by playing the piano. 

Thinking the lounge to be empty, she finished her pastry quickly while she took off her jacket and unwrapped the scarf around her neck.  Sitting down, Ana stretched her frozen fingers a few times and strike the keyboard.  _‘Winter Winds by Chopin, how appropriate.’_ Seto chuckled as the slow somber melody sounded from her fingers.  He quietly put aside his laptop and strolled over towards the piano.

Ana didn’t flinch or stop as Seto stopped only a few feet beside her, her body swayed gracefully to the now fast paced rhythm of the song.

 _‘She’s playing this with her eyes closed!’_ Seto’s jaw dropped as Ana’s fingers danced on the keyboard without missing a beat, her body relaxed and her expression serene, playing as if this was second nature to her.  The level of dexterity she has mastered is something he could never achieve personally, he’s tried.

Seto gazed at the striking beauty before him, her ethereal presence amplified by the illumination of the hazy morning sun.  The form fitting sports attire hugged her body tightly, highlighting the curves on her sculpted body; her chest heaving as her left hand changed from chords to runs.  Like any other red-blooded man would, Seto indulged the view before him, admiring her physical beauty, wondering how he had never noticed her like this before. 

[Mikhail is calling] Ana and Seto both jumped as NERO interrupted her performance.  “Hey!” Mikhail’s voice sounded from her bracelet before Ana even accepted the call. “What?” Ana snapped, her eyes still closed and her fingers still hovering over the last phrase she had played.  “Oh wow, you’re awake.” Mikhail sounded genuinely astounded.

“What is it?”

“I want you to quit your internship at Kaiba Corp.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think? The asshat basically called you a gold-digging whore. You’re unbelievable! Why are you putting yourself through this?  It’s so not like you!”

Ana dropped her hands to her side, her eyes opened slightly but remained downcast as the morning sun shinned through the window onto her face. 

“Did Alex snitch on me?” Ana sighed, “It’s no big deal, Seto talks to everyone that way.”

“Stop calling him that.”, “Calling him what?”, “Calling him _Seto_.”, “But that’s his freaking name!”, “Kaiba is his name too!”

Seto cross his arms and leaned against piano as the conversation unfolded before him.  As he expected, Ana doesn’t normally tolerate people like him. ‘ _So, I’m Ana’s exception huh?_ He smirked, listening on with pride and gratitude as Ana defend him against her supposed boyfriend. 

Sick of arguing, Ana snapped at Mikhail as he hurled unfounded accusation against her and Seto “Unlike you, I don’t sleep with everything that moves.” She barked.

“I have to go.” Mikhail said quietly after a long pause. “I’m sor-” Ana’s apology was cut short as her brother hung up the call.

Seto walked away silently as Ana resume her playing but ceased before finishing the piece. Upset over the friction she had caused between her and her brother, Ana had lost the enthusiasm to continue.  She closed the keyboard cover and grabbed her belongings, dialing Mikhail to apologize as she took the stairs up to her room.


	21. Dat Devil Juice

Over the next few days Seto felt drained and upset at the lack of development with the oligarch and at Alena’s increasingly demanding attitude.  How disappointing it was to watch the initially charming and intelligent Alena slowly devolve into someone who was exceedingly clingy and demanding.  Thankfully, Ana was around to keep him company, although she would disappear mysteriously whenever Alena is around, which is always.  

As Christmas approached, Ana could tell Seto was crumbling against the weight of his own ambition, gradually suffocating under the mountain of work that had snuck up on him.  He was putting up a good front however, not even Mokuba could tell the extent of Seto’s metal suffering.  Despite her preoccupation with her own schoolwork, Ana tried to do things here and there to help alleviate his pressure; she couldn’t just stand by and watch him sink further and further into his own mental hell. 

 

* * *

 

 

Seto tapped his pen in frustration as he stared at the pile of work in front of him.  Wanting him to relax for a few hours, Mokuba had gotten him some spare time by taking Alena out for yet another round of shopping. 

Deciding to savor his moment of peace, Seto laid back onto his chair and rested his eyes. 

Ceasing her own work as the sound of Seto’s quiet rhythmic breathing filled the room, Ana crept over quietly as she did once before and stared at the sleeping Seto before her.  The sight was reminiscent of the days when she would chug jugs of sweet tea and Mikhail would shotgun cans of energy drinks just to power through multiple all-nighters in order to meet _MoSAIC’s_ deadlines. 

Against her better judgment, Ana draped a thin blanket on top of Seto. She gingerly fished away the files on his desk, intending to finish the work on it in his behalf.

 

* * *

 

 

“Wake up sleeping beauty!” Seto’s eye’s shot open as Alena shook him playfully.  “What time is it?” he asked suddenly, “It’s 6:30, why?” Realizing he’d been out for much longer than he had intended, Seto cursed at himself for sleeping in so late and looked over at this pile of work files.  “What the…?” he muttered to himself as he picked up the neatly piled documents; the finished blueprints were plastered with yellow sticky notes, and judging from the handwriting, it was Ana’s doing.  Seto breathed in deeply as the familiar scent of Ana’s perfume diffused from the blanket around his shoulders. 

“Are we still going to Tati’s party, darling?” Alena frowned; her eyes narrowed suspiciously as Seto examined Ana’s notes. “Hmm? Yes, go ahead and get ready.” He answered impatiently, perturbed by her interruption. 

While Alena preoccupied herself in the closet, Seto found Ana sitting at the breakfast nook, phone in hand as she munched away at a something.  “Nikolaev!” he belted at the top of his lungs as he stood directly behind her, causing Ana to launch her half-eaten sandwich halfway across the room.  “What?!” she shouted angrily, having lost her dinner.  “If you ever touch my files again without my permission,” he cautioned, “I will have you fired on the spot.” He admonished.  “You’re welcome.” Ana rolled her eyes as she retrieved the scattered pieces of her dinner, figuring that’s Seto’s way of expressing appreciation for her work. 

 

* * *

 

 

Tatiana held her annual Christmas party at one of her parent’s exclusive high-end nightclubs, pack with celebrities, athletes, and political clienteles.  While business functions were a necessary evil, Seto hated these kinds of gatherings.  He sat alone in one of the VIP booths in the balcony while Alena had wandered off to dance with her friends.  The deafening club music was so loud he could barely hear his own thoughts.  Why is he doing this to himself?  Seto regretted ever going through with this plan, seeing how wooing Alena had done nothing for his business ventures. 

“Mr. Kaiba.” Seto looked to his left as the bouncer moved aside for a slightly inebriated Ivan Krevchanko.  “Mr. Krevchanko,” he managed a greeting through gritted teeth as the music got louder somehow.  “Tell them to turn it down.” Krevchanko barked, the thundering bass quieted down as his assistant relayed Ivan’s orders into his walkie-talkie.  “That’s better, where is my daughter?” the man grumbled, looking around the VIP area.  “Dancing with her friends.” Seto pointed to a group of laughing girls beneath their balcony near the bar.  Ivan shook his head and sat down without an invitation.  Before they exchange pleasantries, the oligarch first ordered some Russo-Baltique vodka and had the waiter pour two full glasses.  “Russia’s finest.” Ivan huffed as he took the glass from the waiter’s hands.

Not a drinker himself, Seto took the glass begrudgingly and sipped the drink as Ivan downed it in one go.  “Hmph.” The old man grumbled disapprovingly “What kind of man can’t even finish his drink?”

The hotheaded Seto from a few years ago would’ve snapped and walked out of the room.  But the more mature Seto tonight swallowed his pride and downed the drink in one gulp.  Immediately, Seto felt the effect of the vodka as the blood vessels in his head pulsated with pressure while his stomach and esophagus burned.   “Good,” Krevchanko nodded approvingly as he ordered a refill.  “Kaiba Corp huh?  Did you know your old man and I go all the way back?” Seto winced at the mention his late stepfather. “I remember when Noah was born, never seen Gozaburo crack a smile until that day.” Ivan reminisced, unaware of the family drama that had plagued Seto his whole life.

Deciding to ignore that topic, Seto discussed Kaiba Corp’s latest achievements and products instead.  Bemused by young Seto’s wit and determination, Ivan listened, it’s not like there’s much else he could be doing.  Unlike his contemporaries at this party who are surrounded by young escorts, the more business-oriented Ivan didn’t care to participate in his colleagues’ playboy lifestyle, feeling that such activities were beneath him, unbecoming of a man of his status.  Too bad his daughter turned out to be the opposite.

“Ah, yes.” Ivan chuckled at Seto’s subtle attempt of a proposal to relaunch Kaiba Corp products in Russia.  But little does he know; Ivan was the wrong person to impress. The aging oligarch had already passed the torch so to speak, albeit unofficially.   Although he still possesses the necessary powers to grant any favors at the snap of his fingers, the elderly Ivan no longer cared as he would rather sit back and enjoy his soon to be public retirement and let his trusted protégé, Alex, handle his business for him.  Ivan stopped Seto’s pitch with a wave of his hands. “I’ll see what I can do.” He said, not wanting to promise Seto anything. “Cheers!” The oligarch shouted as he downed his refill of Vodka and Seto followed suit. 

 

* * *

 

 

The elderly man seemed unaffected as he continued to down glass after glass of the clear devil juice, meanwhile, Seto’s head started to swim as his vision became increasingly blurry.  Looking around the room to refocus his thoughts, Seto could see Ana whispered to one of the waitresses as she tucked a wad of cash into her pocket.

“Another!” Russian man called, snapping his fingers. At his behest, the waitress swiftly replaced their empty glasses with ones she had prefilled with vodka.

 _‘This is water.’_ Seto swallowed with relief as the icy liquid cooled his burning throat and cleared his head slightly.  His eyes followed the waitress as she returned to the bar and watched as she whispered something in Ana’s ears.  

Thanks to her little trick, Seto was able stay relatively sober as and maintained his composure around the now intoxicated oligarch.  “Daddy! Mr. Kim from Samsung would like to meet you!” Alena suddenly popped out of nowhere and attempted to drag her father off.  “Ok ok, I’m coming.” Ivan steadied himself against his two bodyguards and left without saying goodbye.

Infuriated by Alena’s unhelpfulness, Seto slammed his glass down onto the table and rubbed his lips in an attempt to stifle his anger. 

  

* * *

 

 

“I’m impressed, Kaiba.” A sneering Alex strolled into Seto’s VIP area and moved himself towards Ivan’s now empty spot. “Impressed at what?” Seto growled as the unwelcome intruder plopped down across from him, feeling a headache setting in.  “Bedding Alena of course.” Alex glanced at the pretty blonde skipping around on dance floor, “and bedding Ana.” He gestured towards the dark-haired girl sitting by herself near the front of the VIP booth.

“In her dreams.” Seto snapped at the absurd statement, he never bedded either of them.

“Don’t lie, I saw you and Ana cozying up at the charity auction.”

“So?” Seto barked without hesitation, not sure where Alex is going with this.

“Don’t you know she’s Mikhail’s-”

“Mikhail’s girlfriend? I already know that, what’s your point Vasiliev?” Seto interrupted before Alex could say - _sister_ , thoroughly irritated at the mention of Mikhail’s name.

“Wait…” Alex paused.  “You think….his girlfriend?” the young oligarch exclaimed as he roared with laughter.  “Oh man, you have no idea.” Alex breathed between fits of laughter as he patted Seto on the shoulder.

“What’s your problem, can’t you find someone else to annoy?” Seto asked in disbelief, and shoved Alex’s hand away, completely baffled by his strange behavior. 

Taking advantage of Seto’s now inebriated state, Alex pushed the subject.  “Ah yes, Ana and Mikhail…” he sighed, sipping on his drink in an attempt to stifle his laughter.  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“…No.” The couch shook as Alex giggled silently at Seto’s unconvincing answer.  

“You know, we dated for a while.” Alex lied as he gestured towards Ana with a tip of his glass, “Best girl I’ve ever had, if you know what I mean.” 

Before he could even finish, Seto rounded on Alex who instinctively dodged back as Seto groggily tried to grab him by the collar.  “Talk about her that way again and you’ll live to regret it.” Seto threatened under his breath.  “Oh yeah?” Alex challenged, “And why is that, Kaiba?” 

“Because no one disrespects my Ana.”

“What!?” Alex exclaimed.

“You heard me!” Seto shouted back with a hazy look form his eye.

 _‘Oh my lord, this fool just confessed his love for Ana!’_ Alex laughed into his drink as Seto scowled at him.  “You’re absolutely right my man, don’t let anyone insult your girl like that.”

Alex was having too much fun messing with the eternally stoic Kaiba to stop. He stood to leave but instead of exiting the VIP lounge, he strolled quickly towards Ana.  He glanced at Seto with amusement as Ana jumped eagerly upon seeing him and kissed him on cheek.  “I’m warning you.” Seto growled as he leaned forward with his elbows propped against his tights.

Unsettled by Seto’s menacing attitude, Ana punched Alex on the arm playfully, “What did you do now?  I heard you laughing earlier.” she demanded. “I just stole one of his favorite Christmas cookies.” Alex winked.  “Ugh, no wonder you and Mikhail get along, you two act more like moronic teenagers than grown ass adults.”, “What about your boyfriend over there?” Alex said as he pointed towards the fuming Seto.

“Ha Ha, really funny. You know he’s busy knocking up that bitch Alena.” Ana snapped, the loud music barely concealing the jealousness in her tone.  “I think he’d rather knock you up instead.” he teased.  “Ok! I was kidding.” Alex rubbed his arm as Ana punched him again. “If my information is correct.” he continued, “I think they’re considering an official engagement soon.”

Ana gasped loudly at the Alex’s announcement, “No they’re not!!” she shouted, covering her mouth in horror.

“Hahaha-!” Alex doubled over again with laughter. “Oh you jack ass!!”  He caught Ana’s fist as she came in for another punch and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he laughed as Ana struggled in his arms.  

 

* * *

 

 

Alex rushed outside after he atoned for his sins by promising he’d go skydiving with Ana, (he had been avoiding this for years; her crazy ass would probably cut a safely line on his parachute as a joke). Wiping a tear away from his face, he quickly dialed his best friend. 

“Took you long enough! Guess what I just found out?!”

“What?” Mikhail whispered quietly, trying not to wake the girl sleeping beside him.

“Ok ok ok, so you know how much you dislike Kaiba right?” 

“Please don’t tell me you woke my ass up just to talk about Kaiba.” Mikhail whined.

“Just shut up and listen.” Alex chuckled.

 

* * *

 

A few minutes into their conversation, the brunette next to Mikhail jolted awake as he shouted into his phone “WHAT?” he cried as Alex finished his story.  “Sorry, emergency business call.”  Mikhail apologized quickly to the sleepy girl as he jumped out of bed and ran to the other side of the house. 

“I’m telling you, Kaiba has a thing for your sister!” Alex laughed, “imaging having him as your brother in law.” He continued.  

“I’d rather go skydiving with Ana.”  Mikhail retorted as Alex laughed even louder. “You sure he thinks Ana and I are dating?”

“For the hundredth time, Yes!”

“What gave him that idea? It’s not like I made out with Ana in front of him or anything.” Mikhail shuddered at the thought,

“Yeah but you came off really salty that night though.” Alex reminded.

“That because I didn’t want some asshole grabbing onto my sister!” Mikhail retorted angrily, recalling Seto’s little stunt during the charity dinner.

“Again, keep in mind, he doesn’t know you guys are siblings.” Alex said patiently.

 

Mikhail took a moment to gather himself, “What about Ana?  Does she know about all of this?” he asked, still bitter about his last conversation with Ana where baby sister stubbornly defended Kaiba to him. 

“You know…” Alex paused as he deliberated on telling Mikhail the truth.  Deciding he had already done enough damage by telling Mikhail about their encounter at Ivan’s mansion, Alex tried to play it off. “I don’t know, she doesn’t seem to care.”  he said, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible.

Having known Alex his whole life, Mikhail could tell his best friend was lying through the phone. “Bullshit.” he huffed.

“Fine,” Alex relented. “She... I think she likes him too.”

“Oh no.” Mikhail sighed into his hands, wishing it was any one but Seto freaking Kaiba.

“Come to think of it,” Alex continued, “they’re perfect for each other actually, two stubborn friendless recluses who likes board games a little too much.”

“Shut up, don’t jinx it.” Mikhail hissed as Alex laughed at his own evaluation.

“Wait, isn’t Kaiba with Alena?” Mikhail asked suddenly as he scratched his head in confusion,

"Honestly, I think he’s just using Alena as leverage to get a business deal out of the old man.”

“Psh, classic, doesn’t he know you’re in charge now?” Mikhail's voice echoed his surprise that Seto wasn’t privy to such important information, considering Kaiba Corp’s sphere of influence around the world.

“Apparently not.”

 

The weary older brother looked outside into the darkness from his library window: his baby sister had been seduced by the devil.  

 _'I'll get him back for this.'_ Mikhail smirked as he started plotting in his head.

"So Kaiba thinks my sister and I dating?" he asked.

”Yeeesss for the millionth time." Alex affirmed.

“And my sister the traitor has gone over to the dark side?”,

“Yes, she chugged the cool aid.”

“Ok, this is what we’re gonna do...”


	22. Club Red

In Russia, apparently, the acronym ‘VIP’ was completely lost in translation and didn’t hold the same exclusivity as it did in other countries.  In this case, party goers came and went through the VIP section as they pleased as long as they were friends of the host, which seemingly was everyone in attendance.  Ana shifted in her seat and shook her head for the one hundredth time as yet another person attempted to tempt her with a free alcoholic drink.  She wasn’t exactly averse to the attention, but knowing that no good conversation could be held between a sober and intoxicated person, Ana saved her breath and rejected every single advance for the night.  Although, she was tempted to converse with this red-headed girl who sported an enticingly sexy accent, until her girlfriend showed up of course.

Sick of being eyed by these drunken egotistical athletes and celebrities all evening, Ana sauntered over to the still seething Seto and took a seat near him, hoping his presence would deter any more unwanted advances for the night.  She breathed a sigh of relief and smirked over the comical way people would scurry away as soon as they recognized Seto’s face, looking extra scary with his drunken scowl.  For the next hour, they sat and watched as people danced and partied around them without uttering a single word.  To the uninformed observers, these two introverts detested the existence of one another, but unbeknownst to them, Ana and Seto were just taking comfort in one each other’s silent presence. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Mr. Kaiba.” Ana jerked her head to the right as a sultry voice sounded on the other side of Seto. Her brows arched in amusement as a scantily clad girl took the seat to his right, pressing her legs against his while doing so.  Meanwhile, a shadow was cast over the pair as another gorgeous model-esque girl stood behind the couch, leaning over until her voluptuous breasts were millimeters away from Seto’s back. 

“Go away.” He slurred. 

Undeterred, the seated girl placed both of her hands on his right thigh and squeezed it lightly while the other woman massaged his shoulders.  The balls of steel they must’ve had to approach Seto Kaiba like that.  “Alena will be busy for a while,” the model like girl smiled as she leaned into Seto’s ears, “perhaps we can take her place tonight.” The other finished. 

Alena had not visited once since dragging her father off, and one would think she’d check up on her boyfriend once in a while, if not for his well-being, at least to make sure this type of stuff doesn’t happen. 

Seto placed his head in his hands and hunched over as the earsplitting music thumped around them.  These types of girls often leave on their own after a few minutes of silent treatment; from his past experiences, the more he spoke with them the more they’re encouraged to stay. 

However, taking his silence for a yes, the girls proceeded to hug Seto by the waist and the neck as they giggled at each other.  Now thoroughly uncomfortable by their harassing hands, Seto attempted to elbow one of the girls away, but she just giggled held on even tighter.  What else can he do in his current state? His head was spinning too fast for him to walk away, and it’s not like he can punch them in the face either.  “Dammit, security.” Seto called out weakly as they started unbuttoning his dress shirt while furiously attempting to catch his lips with theirs. 

“Ahem.” The wandering hands stopped in unison as Ana snapped her fingers in the girl’s faces.  “I’m sorry girls, Mr. Kaiba didn’t order any escort services.” Ana snarled as she straightened up, silently ordering them to remove their hands with her glare.  “Um this is the VIP area honey, go back downstairs.”  The model behind Seto sniggered as she leaned over, trying to push Ana with her outstretch hands.  “Exactly, the door is over there in case you’re wondering.” Ana’s snippy remark served its intended effect. 

“Ok just who the hell are you?” The seated girl asked as she slowly released Seto, her eyes narrowed into an awful scowl, a failed attempt at intimidation. 

“She’s the escort I actually paid for, now scram.” Seto barked, finally mustering some strength to brush them aside.  Going through the motion of trying to push aside then girl that was still holding onto him, Seto inadvertently flung opening his already half buttoned dress shirt, exposing even more of his bare body as he extended his arms outwards to remove the girl from his arm.   In an instant, Ana could feel a wave of heat flushed through her body as Seto attempted to stand but stumbled into her awaiting arms.  A shiver went up her spine as their bodies touched, not helped by his intoxicating scent.  “I won’t say it again.” Seto threated the two bewildered as he propped himself against Ana, “Get out.” He finished.  

As the two girls disappeared around the VIP entrance, Seto resumed his original seated position, his body slumped against the backrest.   “Go get the driver, we’re leaving.” He sighed.  “They’re getting the car now.” Said Ana, having already contacted Mokuba and their driver for the night.  “And go get Alena.” He ordered as Ana hastily rebuttoned his shirt.  Without providing an answer, Ana looked around for Mokuba, having no intentions of finding Alena whatsoever.   _‘Alena this Alena that, bleh, I’m not dealing with this anymore.’_ “I’ll go get her.” She finally replied after spotting Mokuba in the crowd, who had obviously neglected to check his phone for messages.  “That twerp.” She mumbled as she slid around the table. 

But before she could straighten up fully, Ana felt a hand slide around her ribs and instinctively hurled a slap with full force, stopping whoever’s attempt at groping her chest. Her body recoiled as her hand made contact with her target’s face, her balance thrown off as the person pushed away her arm.   Before Ana could re-steady herself, however, the man shoved her back harshly, causing her to fall into Seto’s lap.  Enraged, Ana regathered herself up as she readied for round two, completely unaware of the fist that was hurling towards her direction.  The would-be punch stopped millimeters away from her face as Seto snatch the man’s wrist mid-air with his left hand, using the last of his energy reserve Seto held tightly onto Ana as he threw the man to the ground, shielding her behind himself. 

Cursing loudly, the man snatched a bottle of unfinished vodka and shattered it against edge of the table.  With the jagged edges pointing towards Seto, he lounged forward, aiming to plunge the glass into Seto’s chest with the full force of his own weight.  Unable to comprehend the situation in his state of disorientation, Seto’s usually agile reflexes have been rendered completely useless by the alcohol he’d consumed.

As his eyes buzzed with starlight, Seto somehow ended up back on the couch.  As he laid there, an intense pain seared across his upper arm and was followed quickly by the sensation of something warm trickling down his sleeves.  Somewhere next to him, a loud crunching sound echoed as Ana’s voice shrieked in agony.  The weight of his head strained against his neck as Seto struggled to prop himself up.  Through his now slowly darkening vision, he could make out the color red everywhere, on the table, on the carpet, and even on himself.  He blinked quickly to regain focus and swore he saw Ana thrashing her legs wildly as she struggled against something.  Rubbing his eyes with the unbloodied hand, Seto saw the same man from before pinning Ana firmly against the floor, fighting to drive a red tinted object into her neck.  Ana strained to keep the sharp edges away from her neck with her blood-soaked hands.  “No.” Seto uttered as he made one final attempt to save Ana, but not before passing out completely from heavy blood loss, exacerbated by the inordinate amount of alcohol in his system. 

 

* * *

 

Ana sat up and gasp for air as several bouncers rushed in and apprehended the drunken hooligan, the head of security apologized profusely for their momentary lapse of duty as the bouncers hauled the man away.  “What happened here? SETO!” Mokuba rushed in after hearing the altercation from the dance floor below.  He panicked at the sight of his bloodied unconscious brother lying motionless on the couch.  “Don’t touch him! An ambulance is on the way!” A security personnel warned as Mokuba reached for Seto. “Dammit, what the hell happened to my brother?!” 

Mokuba’s cries echoed in Ana’s ears like a loudspeaker broadcasting from far away. 

While Ana’s body readjusted to the sudden rush of oxygen, her mind was busy replaying what had just occurred in slow motion.   The bottle came so close to reaching Seto she had to physically knock it away while pushing him aside, or else the whole bottle would’ve been lodged into Seto’s body.  A pool of something warm and red formed around her as she slowly sat up from the ground.  “Miss please stay still!”  Someone shouted while they tugged on her arm, preventing her from dislodging a large piece of glass that was jammed into her wrist.   _‘All this from a vodka bottle?’_ She thought as she observed the palm sized glass sticking out of her wrist and the large vertical gash next to it now gushing blood.  _‘It’s gonna be such a pain in the ass to get this stain out.’_   Ana thought woozily as she looks down at her looked at her lily-white dress now soaking red.   _‘Eh, I got that stain out of Kaiba’s expensive ass suit, this shouldn’t be…..Where is Seto?!’_ Ana looked around nervously as she snapped back into reality.

“Ana! Stop moving!” Mokuba shouted as Ana made an attempt to reach towards them. “Miss, please!” an onsite nurse pulled Ana back, trying to stem her blood flow.  “We need to sedate her now!” a frustrated paramedic called out as Ana stubbornly refused to listen to their instructions.  “Is he ok!? Is he badly hurt!?”  She kept repeating while looking desperately at Seto as the paramedics loaded him onto a stretcher.  “Where are they taking him?  I’m going with him!”  Ana huffed as she fought against the hands that were hold her back.  But before she could reach him, the combination of sedative and blood loss knocked her into a coma as she collapsed next to his stretcher.  


	23. Code Blue

The medevac helicopter was received at the local hospital by every available trauma surgeon that was on call, as well as Kaiba Corp’s private medical personnel that accompanied Seto on this trip.  Meanwhile, Mokuba and the rest of Seto’s staff stayed behind at the party and, with the cooperation of the club owners and local police, made sure no word of this incident was leaked to the press or the paparazzi. 

At the ER, Seto’s condition was stabilized rather quickly once the doctors injected him with coagulant agents and thickened his alcohol thinned blood.  Once enough fluid and oxygen were reintroduced into his system, Seto was up and conscious within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital.  “You need to stay down!” a nurse pleaded desperately as she guided the disoriented Seto back onto his pillow.  “What happened to me?” He asked, sliding his IV laden hand over his eyes to shield the brightly lit post-op room.  Straightaway, Seto felt a stabbing pain on his upper right arm as he lifted his other hand to do the same.  He was still dressed in his evening attire aside from his dress shirt, which had been swapped for a hospital gown.  Unable to recall the events that had led to his current condition, Seto pried the nurse for more details. “Then go get someone competent enough to answer my questions!” He said angrily, as the nurse only provided vague responses in return.  “Mr. Kaiba, our sincerest apologies, I’m doctor Smirnov, the chief physician on duty.” An elderly man in a lab coat explained as he entered Seto’s room. “I will go over with you your medical status and answer any questions you have.” Dr. Smirnov continued, “However, please understand, due to the delicateness of this situation, I’ve been instructed not to discuss anything until your attorney is present.” He finished with an apologetic nod.  Seto rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry, suing this dump will only be a waste of time, but if you insist.” He scoffed as another doctor rushed into the room.  [ _“Доктор Смирнов, код синий! (Dr. Smirnov, code blue!)”_ ] a frantic voice sounded from the doctor’s pager followed by the corresponding room number.  Just as the doctor rushed to leave, he ran headfirst into Seto’s legal team as they entered the room.  [ _“…laceration… radial artery… patient…hypovolemic shock….”_ ] The pager buzzed as it flew out of his pocket and landed on the floor. [ _“… anesthesia… recent medical records…Nikolaev...room 9…”_ ].

“Nikolaev?” Seto asked as the nurse scrambled to retrieve the pager. “Is he talking about Ana Nikolaev?!” The heart rate monitor spiked as Seto demanded furiously at the medical staff. “Answer me this instant!”

“Mr. Kaiba, I think you should-” The chief attorney was silenced immediately as his boss shot him a furious glare _‘Nikolaev, Nikolaev, I have to make sure…’_  Pushing through the pain on his arm, Seto ripped away the IV and monitor instruments and stormed out of the door.  Panic ensued as Seto bolted towards the O.R., but no one dared to stop him.  As he reached room 9, Seto halted as he reached the small window that looked into room 9. 

Surgeons and medical assistants hovered over a bloody mess as they frantically tried to resuscitate Ana, who laid motionless on the operating table.  “What happened to her?” Seto asked desperately as Dr. Smirnov started the decontamination process.  “Dammit, my attorneys are right here!” Seto shouted in exasperation as his chief attorney searched for Ana’s signed power of attorney.  Dr. Smirnov hesitated as he scrubbed his hands, “Ok,” he conceded, “I don’t know what happened at the scene of the incident, but to put it simply, one of her major arteries on her right wrist was severed and she went into shock from severe blood loss.”  He sighed as he donned his sterilized surgical gear. “All of that from a cut wrist?” Seto asked incredulously. “Yes, Mr. Kaiba,” Dr. Smirnov sighed, his tone hardened as he started to lose patience, “according to the paramedic, she panicked at the sight of your unconscious body and started hyperventilating before they had the chance to sedate her.  Between that and her increased heart rate, her brain and other major organs were basically oxygen deprived until she arrived at the hospital.” Seto’s trembling hands gripped the edges of the window as the scene of the attack flooded his memories. “Will she be ok?” he asked, desperately clinging onto hope. “I.. I don’t know.” Dr. Smirnov shook his head gravely as he entered the surgical room.  

Seto’s fanatical eyes darted around the room as Ana’s EKG skipped around erratically _‘Dammit!’_ He pounded the wall with his fist in frustration as her oxygen level kept dropping.  

“Don’t worry Mr. Kaiba,” the Chief Operating Officer of the hospital said reassuringly as Seto became increasingly distraught, “we have the latest medical technology from _MoSAIC,_ it has worked almost perfectly so far.”

Seto cursed under his breath; cursing that once again Scholtz was in a far better position to help her than he was; cursing at his helplessly to save her while she showed no hesitation to do the same for him; cursing that he hadn’t cherished her while he had the chance.

 

* * *

 

 

Five thousand miles away, Mikhail relaxed in his cozy recliner with a book in hand, eager for some rest after another day of hard work.  Just as he reached for the bookmark, the jarring sound of his ringtone chimed from his phone, cutting through the peaceful silence.  “Did you forget your wallet again Gerung?  I’m not bailing you out of dinner this time.” Mikhail said jokingly as he strolled over to the window of his penthouse apartment.  “Not this time sir, although I won’t object if you offer.” His director of marketing laughed. “I do have good news however.” Gerung continued excitedly, “I just analyzed the automated reports for our latest product and complied a summary report for you.  So far, we are seeing a 95.9% full recovery rate for all trauma patients.” “Perfect!” Mikhail smiled as he watched Central Park gradually turn orange from the hazy evening sun.  “For liability reasons, severe cases of trauma are still handled by surgeons personally, but I did just get an update from Kremlyovka Hospital in Moscow.” Mikhail opened his laptop as Gerung sent over the report. “The first official code blue patient.” Gerund clarified as Mikhail opened the document.

 _‘Female, 23, 4-inch laceration, severed radial artery, baroreflex mediated blood loss of approximately 2500mL, brain hypoxia induced coma…’_ Mikhail’s brows furrowed as he skimmed through the report. “Gosh… is she going to be ok?” he asked as he finished reading, “she’s so young...” he sighed.  “It’s still ongoing, I’ll keep you updated sir.” Gerung answered as Mikhail shut the laptop and poured himself a glass of whisky.  To people like Gerung, this is merely another data point to mark the success or failure of a product; but to Mikhail, this is more than that, he wanted to save her life, if not for her sake, then for the sake of those who love her.


	24. Do We Have a Deal?

The next few days following the incident, the hotel’s usually quiet and empty penthouse now resembled the downstairs reception lobby as various people bustled in and out of Seto’s suite.  His own staff frantically busied themselves with calls and meetings, trying to hush up this incident and preventing any embarrassing information from leaking to the press or paparazzi, averting a potential PR disaster for Kaiba Corp.  The level of damage control required for an incident was certainly not a walk in the park.  At the same time, the party organizers were also having to do their own form of damage control, striving to stifle any potential lawsuits by attempting to harass Seto into signing agreements.  This wasn’t helped by the ominous presence of the Russian Investigation Committee and the local police, who harassed Seto and his team for information in an attempt to protect their own country’s reputation. 

On the business end of things, Seto wasn’t fazed by these little annoyances, as this was hardly a traumatic experience compared to what he had dealt with previously on almost weekly basis; just part of the job description when running a large corporation.  However, unlike before, Seto had more pressing things on his mind than just the reputation of his own company. 

“Dr. Smirnov.” spoke Seto as he held a hand to cut off the rambling of the attorney standing before him. “Mr. Kaiba, as requested, an update on Ms. Nokolaev’s condition…” Seto listened intently as he retreated away from the suite’s omnipresent chatter into his bedroom.   Ana’s surprising recovery came both as a relief and annoyance, and after hearing the narrative of what had occurred at the club, Seto was frustrated that he could do so little for Ana, the person who had basically saved his life.  He hated owing people anything, so how was he going to repay her?  Praises? Career advancement? Money? And speaking of money…

 _‘Of all people….’_ Seto thought in frustration as he leaned towards the window, resting his fist and elbow above his head against the cold glass panel.  In his own distorted way of thinking, watching Ana’s life being saved by a MoSAIC product was one more thing Mikhail had done for Ana that he couldn’t.  Seto had to admit though, after watching Ana go from cardiac arrest to a non-critical patient after only 2 days, even he couldn’t deny the incredible advancements Mikhail and his team has achieved in the medical field.  _‘There has to be something…’_ Seto was so out of his element, he never imagined having to give so much thought into repaying someone beyond throwing money at them. 

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m not paying you so that I can do your job.” Seto said curtly after being asked for the 3rd time about how the PR team should handle the paparazzi questions.  “You can’t leave Mr. Kaiba, we need you around to provide statements to the press!” One of the PR crew members begged as Seto donned his overcoat.  “Did you just give me an order?”  Seto glared at the man, “This had better be resolved by the time I’m back.” He barked at the room in general as he marched out of his suite. 

“Mokuba…” Seto hesitantly said in the privacy of the elevator as him and Mokuba descended to the first floor.  “What…do you think Ana… maybe…” unable to open up to his little brother, Seto’s face reddened as he struggled to complete his question.  “You know,” Mokuba smiled teasingly as he watched his brother stutter around, “Hiroka was rambling to me the other day about _The Five Languages of Love_.” He said innocently, as if he didn’t hear Seto’s incoherent questions just now, “At first I thought it was baloney, but after dissecting it for a bit, it’s actually quite interesting!  Hiroka says you’re the gift giving kind, and that you dish out words of affirmation, can you believe it? HA!”  Mokuba tiled his head back for a mocking laugh and continued with sarcastic seriousness, “Personally? If I was a girl? I’d go nuts if the great Seto Kaiba would spend some quality time with me and maybe do something fun together like ice skating or something.” “Ice skating?” Seto rolled his eyes and chuckled at the ridiculous suggestion. “Or not! But hey, physical touch is also an option, you can try that.” Mokuba winked as the elevator neared the ground floor, “But not with me though, that would be incestuous and severely frowned upon by most societies…. most.” He elbowed Seto jokingly as the elevator door opened, and Seto returned Mokuba’s smile in earnest. His little brother clearly knew him too well.

But Mokuba was right, Seto wasn’t one to write poetries professing his love for some damsel in distress or showering said damsel with physical affection; although he would love to lavish her with gifts, however.  ‘ _But she doesn’t seem to lack anything, and I have no idea what she would like…’_ he thought deeply as they climbed into the car _‘Wait, there is that one thing.’_ He thought. “Mokuba, get in touch with Struchen, I want him to overnight the item in vault 894A from Switzerland to here by tomorrow evening.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ana was bored out of her mind as she laid in the hospital bed with only the sound of her beeping heart monitor keeping her company.  As an unintentional experimental patient for the new MoSAIC MedPod, Ana’s physical activity was restricted until the doctors can fully verify her recovery with further examinations.  _‘I’m fine! I helped build the freaking thing.’_ Ana was thoroughly agitated as the engineers fiddled around the machine and nurses prodded her sore body with probes and needles.  With no other options, Ana mostly occupied her time by suffering through the local news and talk shows that were playing continuously on the TV; she had given up on her inquiry on Seto’s status and whereabout after being shouted by a poor nurse on the 27th hour of her 12 hour shift, “I told you already Ms. Nikolaev! I don’t know anything! And even if I do, I'm not allowed to say anything!  You meddling millennials.”

Ana sighed as she propped herself up into a sitting position. _‘It can’t be that bad.’_ Ana thought as she glanced at the TV. A dead Seto, heck even a comatose Seto, would’ve made the news by now.  Her mind wandered again as she stared at the silent but laughing hosts on the TV, her eyes closing once more as she drifted off into sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

“Howdy!” Ana jolted awake as Mokuba tapped her on the forehead with his fingers, completely unaware that her skin receptors were painfully sensitive from the medication she had been taking.  “Ok twerp, unless you’re the reincarnation of Itachi Uchiha, don’t tap me on the forehead like that!” Ana shouted as she pushed aside Mokuba’s hand. 

“Oh yeah?”

Ana yelped in pain as Seto snickered and then poked her square in the forehead, her vision filling with stars as pain rippled through her body. “Uh, I think you really hurt her there bro.” Ana blinked rapidly to clear her vision. “You’re alive!” she croaked as her eyes found Seto, her voice cracked from her excitement. “Of course I am, what kind of stupid comment is that?” Seto sneered, hiding his own excitement as Ana smiled eagerly at him.  “I don’t know why you dragged me here Mokuba, she looks fine to me, I’m done wasting my time here.”  Mokuba rolled his eyes dramatically as Seto crossed his arms and turned to leave. 

“I’m sorry Seto.” he said matter-of-factly, “For dragging you along to visit Ana and for wasting your time, please forgive me.” He continued, knowing full well it was Seto who dragged HIM along for this visit. “If you would, will you be so kind as to check up on Ana for me and ask her how she’s doing in my stead while I visit the gift shop downstairs.” Mokuba finished with a sigh.  “Fine, if you insist.” Seto said begrudgingly as he took a seat next to Ana’s cot, thankful that his precious baby brother knew exactly what to do.

 _‘Two can play this game.’_ Ana smiled to herself as she caught on to their gig, “Well then feel free to leave Mr. Kaiba, your presence here is quite unwelcome anyways.” She huffed as she attempted to cross her arms but failed as the IV line snagged onto something. “Pathetic as always.” Seto mocked in his usual voice but leaned forward to untangle the IV lines as he spoke. “Say the guy who got shanked by a drunkard.” Ana retaliated, “Hello pot, I’m kettle.” He said tauntingly, albeit a little caught off guard. “Hello kettle, who is still alive because of pot, nice to meet you.”

 _‘Oh Shit! DAMAGE CONTROL! DAMAGE CONTROL!’_ Mokuba hopped around nervously as he watched the two argued from the doorway. “Here you go Seto!  Hurry up and show Ana before we have to leave!” Mokuba barged back in and slammed the briefcase he had been carrying onto Seto’s lap, interrupting their little fight. “What’s in there?” Ana asked, playing right into Mokuba’s trap as her aggravation transformed instantly into curiosity.  “Since you had the bright idea of challenging me to a game of duel monsters.” Seto begin as he fiddled with the locks on the briefcase, “I have graciously decided to allow you to use my latest duel technology so you can get some practice in before losing to me… again.” he snickered.

“Seto I have Struchen on the line for you.” Mokuba suddenly interrupted with phone in hand and rushed to Ana's bedside as soon as Seto disappeared behind the doorway. “Sorry about Seto Ana, but he’s actually been worried sick about you and he’s the one who insisted on coming today.” He whispered in her ear as he whipped around every few seconds to check the doorway, “He was afraid you were going to be bored out of your mind here so we brought his new duel disk for you to play with because Dr. Smirnov told him you’re not allowed to move around much, we haven’t even unveiled this to the public yet! Oh crap here he comes.” Mokuba moved away at lightning speed as the door re-opened. “I’ll be in the gift shop!” he shouted behind him as he stepped out of the room, leaving the two brooding lovebirds to themselves.

“Where were we?” Seto sighed as he took his seat and picked up the briefcase again. “My ineptitude as a duelist and your graciousness in allowing me to glance upon your latest technology with my foolish mortal eyes.” Ana smiled.  Still not used to her flip-flopping ways, Seto paused his hands on the lock scanner and took a hard look at the beaming girl before her.  “Humph, exactly.” He agreed, “And you better start practicing.”

 

* * *

 

 

Hours flew by like minutes as Seto and Ana engaged in the topic of duel monsters.  She listened intently as he taught her the various strategies and decks she can choose from, as well as explaining the mechanisms of his new duel disk in detail. “With the new iris tracking system combined with our electro-impulse brain-wave detector, the player can experience a virtual duel while still fully functional and conscious…” Ana nodded while Seto rambled on and on; she had never seen him this vocal about any subject before. Ana knew Seto had it in him, that x factor that had made him so successful in everything he does, his thirst for learning and intense passion when it comes to his hobbies and the values he believes in. It was quite awe-inspiring to see Seto’s raw charisma, even if he was acting like a cynical asshole most of the time.  “If I catch you looking down there again, I’m leaving.” Seto threated as he caught her eyes staring at his. “Oh no worries, I heard everything this time.” Ana smiled as she took a long and deliberate look at his crotch.  Indeed, she had been paying attention; for him to show her something this exclusive and on his own time, Ana knew this wasn’t just some trivial to Seto, even if Mokuba hadn’t explained it earlier. This was his way of showing her appreciation for what she had done for him.

“Show me then.” Seto said as he handed Ana the headset and duel disk, “The simulation is programmed for 10 levels, but since you’re a beginner, just duel until level 5 for now, the current beta-testing record is to reach level 5 is within 7 rounds.” “And if I beat that record?” Ana asked as she donned the surprisingly (and thankfully) light duel gear. “You won’t, that record was set by me.”, “and if I beat your record?” Ana repeated. “Then I’ll do whatever you ask.” “Deal!” Ana shouted gleefully as level 1 initiated. 

Driven by Seto’s promise to do anything she asked, Ana powered through the first 3 levels, despite being physically incapacitated.  “How are you doing this?” Seto asked incredulously, as Ana played almost exactly as he would have, but slightly better.  _‘Because I know your strategy like the back of my hands from watching Battle City and Grand-Prix reruns.’_ “Because I’m superior to you in every way.” she mocked.

Seto could feel himself sweating from nervousness as Ana finished the 4th level with still 3 more rounds to spare. “You’re cheating.” He accused.  “How?” she laughed, “I’ve been restrained to a hospital bed for the past few days recovering from traumatic injury.”  “I don’t know how, but you must be cheating.”  Seto’s confidence wavered at his own unfounded accusation.  “Would you like to check me for wires then?” Ana smiled jokingly as she started to unbutton her hospital gown. “No! Stop! Fine I believe you!” Ana laughed as Seto panicked.  

The last level was exponentially more difficult than the one before, and her rendition of Seto’s tactics didn’t work anymore.  _‘Time to try something else.’_ Ana thought.  Taking inspiration from all of the previous duels she had watched, Ana reassembled her deck with cards that fit a strategy that she felt fit her better. “I can’t find the god cards in the card index.” She whined as she scanned through the catalog for the second time.  “They’re too overpowered.” Seto answered simply.

 _‘Synchro Summon…XYZ…Bleh, these new game mechanics are so stupid.’_ Ana thought as she scrolled through the options, _‘Heh I’ll go with this.’_ She smirked as her finger selected the card displayed before her.

“The Dark Magician?!” Seto shouted as he stared in disbelief Ana’s final choice of cards, most of which were from Yugi’s deck. “What are you playing at?” he questioned, “I’m playing card games of course!” “You know that’s not what I’m ask- whatever, you won’t beat my record.”

But beat it she did. Ana had reached level 5 within 6 rounds.

Her triumphant win reminded Seto so much of Atem. Could she be the answer to the long-lost thrill and excitement he’d been chasing for the past few years?  A conflicted Seto felt both pride and concern over her indirect victory against him; unsure of what to say. “Beginner’s luck” was all he could manage.

A sudden knock came at the door as Mokuba entered. “Back from the gift shoppping?” Ana pointed at his emptyhandedness, “Ha uh yeah, forgot my wallet in the car, so hey uh Seto, we need to head back to the hotel.” Mokuba said with a concerned expression. “Who the hell is giving me orders this time?” Seto barked, still focused on Ana’s win. “I’ll tell you in the car, we just have to go.” Mokuba demurred. “Stop dancing around the point, Mokuba.”, “It’s… Alena.”

Seto and Ana’s faces both dropped at the mention of her name. “What does she want?” Seto grumbled, seriously considering whether he should continue with this whole Russian business venture at this point.  “She just said it was urgent business.” “Fine, let’s go.” Seto seethed as he snatched his coat off the chair, “You can keep this for now, but if you lose it, I’ll have your head.”

“So does that mean you’re coming back later?” Seto paused as Ana looked at him with hopeful eyes full of anticipation.

_‘She…wants me around?’_

Ana was enjoying her time with him so much that she didn’t want him to leave.  “oh um, for this I mean.” She added quickly in a small voice as she gestured towards the duel gear, her face blushing slightly from her accidental admission. 

“Is that the deal then?” “What deal?” “The deal we made before the duel you idiot!”

“Oh… yeah, sure.” Ana smiled cheerfully, wanting nothing more at this moment from Seto than his time and presence. 

“Ok, I’ll take this as our verbal agreement then, don’t ask me for anything else later.”

“So you’re coming back tonight then?”

“I already said yes!”

“You… promise?”

“I never go back on my word.”


	25. Deal? Deal.

“Stop it with this nonsense, I know what you’re up to.” “And what am I up to, Alena?” Seto had barely had the chance to brush the snow off of his jacket before Alena, seething with newfound suspicion, rounded on him. “Are you really going to make me say it?” her indignant tone silenced the room as she chased after Seto.  “What are you all looking at? Mind your own business and get back to work!” Mokuba shouted at the stunned lawyers and investigators as Seto and Alena disappeared into his office.  

The armchair rocked backwards as Alena shoved it aside, storming her way to Seto’s desk.  “I had you followed, I know where you were this evening,” Alena’s voice trembled as she finished her sentence.  “She’s my employee.” Seto answered simply as he leaned forward, resting his elbow on the desk and peered at Alena with a vacant expression; he had been anticipating this confrontation for a while now.  “I don’t care what she is, you haven’t texted or called since the incident, you obviously don’t care about me!” Seto scoffed at her accusation, not only because she was right in her assumption, but also because of the sheer hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness her statement demonstrated. 

“Did you get in trouble?” “No, I-”

“Did you lose any of your precious Instagram followers?” “What? No-”

“Were you injured?” “No, but-!”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is.”  His tone was absolute; Seto was finished with this childish outburst.

“You’re using me to get something from my father, aren’t you?” Alena's eyes narrowed as she asked, her mouth curved into a menacing smile as she watched Seto shift uncomfortably midway through her question.  He slowly capped the pen in his hand and looked up at the Russian heiress.   
“You like her don't you?” Alena smirked. “You're not as clever as you think Seto. I could tell you liked her the day we boarded the plane to come here.” Seto made no attempts to argue as he placed his pen neatly beside the stack of legal forms he had to sign and prompted Alena to continue with his stare.  

Alena paused, she looked away as she carefully considered her next words. “I am going to make you an offer-.” “-that I can’t refuse?” “Yes.” She nodded. “Whatever your dealing is with my father, I will make it happen, I guarantee it.” Seto pursed his lips skeptically. “How?” he asked. He knew that Alena had to no power over her father’s business, and no amount of Godfather references were going to change that fact either.  “I just will.” “And if you fail?” Seto asked, raising an eyebrow as he laced his fingers before him.  Alena smirked, “The executor of my father’s will is on my payroll; if I fail, I will have Alex deposed upon my father’s passing and sign control over to you.” “What’s stopping me from just finding the executor myself and cutting out the middleman?” Seto shrugged at Alena’s outlandish promise.

“Oh, you think a foreigner like you can really convince Russia’s best lawyers to sell out their most powerful clients? The fact that you’re going through me to begin with shows that’s not how it works here.”  She laughed, “No Seto Kaiba, you may have money, but you have no power in Russia.” And she was right. Seto furrowed his brows as he remembered the time Dartz took over Kaiba Corp and he had been powerless to take it back through political or judicial means.   “And if I say no?” Seto asked as his resolve against her weakened.  Doing business in Russia would not only expands Kaiba Corp’s market share, but an alliance with the Russian government would be a great deterrent to any potential hostile takeovers as well as good protection from other political nuisances.  

“If you refuse, I will tell father everything; how you tried to trick me, trick him, and I will personally ensure that you will never be able to do business in this country ever again.”

“Blackmailing me is never a good idea.” He warned.

“This isn’t blackmailing, Seto. this is a promise.”

A sigh escaped Seto’s lips as he stood from his chair and walked over to the expansive window.  Finally getting a taste of his own medicine, Seto scoffed quietly to himself as he mused; this must be how Ana felt when he forced her to come on this trip despite her pleadings.  And speaking of Ana, already sure of Alena's response, Seto stalled before uttering the question he’s been dreading to ask, “And what do you want from me?”

“For you to never see that Ana girl ever again.”

_‘I knew it.’_

“I want her fired, I want Mokuba to tell her you’re sick of her, that she's a bother to everyone, and she is to never set foot in Kaiba Corp or anywhere near us ever again.” Alena concluded breathlessly, as if she'd been dying to say it to Seto for days.

“Leave her out of this.” He demanded. “Exactly, I’m leaving her-” Alena said slowly as she drew an imaginary circle with her index finger “-out of everything.”

“Why are you so fixated on Ana?” He snapped, “I’m not done yet.” Alena interrupted, her voice determined “I want you to make our relationship official, show up to social events with me, move in together, and announce our engagement in 5 months’ time.” “Engagement?!” “Yes. I don’t care to get married; at this point it will be for publicity.”

Seto was speechless for a moment as he processed Alena’s demands. “You’re just using me for publicity? You’re willing to manipulate your father and sign over his estate just for some publicity?” Seto was stunned. “That’s ludicrously vain even by rich girl standards, don’t you have better things to occupy yourself with?” He exclaimed. 

“Sticks and stones Seto, don’t lecture me about vanity, especially with the way you reacted when you lost your Duel Monsters Championship title.” She snapped. “Besides, who are you to judge? Everyone has something different that means a lot to them; for you, it’s those childish duel monster cards. For me, it’s my public image.”

Indeed, Seto was aware of the reason Alena is incessantly obsessed with her social media and public persona.  Growing up, he never had Gozaburou’s attention, except for the weekly lectures on his flaws and failings. Being brought up in a Russian oligarch family means Alena must have had dealing with impossibly high expectations as he did, and she was likely desperate for the attention she probably never received from her parents. However the difference between them was that Seto, unlike Alena, had managed to channel his frustration into creating games and technology, which in the long term was much less self-destructive than trying to maintain the approval of the public through social media.

“I’ll think about it.” He said quickly, dismissing Alena with a wave of his hands, he needed some time to consdier everything.   

“This isn’t a business deal, my love.” Alena grinned. “I don’t care to wait on you and I’m not here to bargain.  I want an answer now.” She ordered, relaxing into the armchair she had shoved aside earlier. 

Seto closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply.  With his only family being Mokuba, who is eternally understanding, the decision between choosing business or personal affairs has always been easy for him. This time, however, he wasn’t so sure. 

“Well?” Alena prompted as Seto shuffled back to his desk.

 _‘I will get rid of Alena as soon as this whole thing is over with… but god knows how long that will take.’_ Seto wondered as he took his seat again. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Seto doubted that he would ever get to speak with Krevchanko, or even Alex, again after this if he refused. 

 _‘_ _Just this one last time.’_ Seto placed his hand over his mouth as he caved in towards Alena’s demands.

 _‘_ _I can’t forsake the future of my company, a company I worked so hard to build from the ashes of my stepfather’s empire, over some girl…’_ his legs trembled as he suppressed his urge to choose Ana over Kaiba Corp.

 _‘_ _But she saved my life, she’s in the hospital because of me.’_ Seto felt tension around his head as if a tight rubber band had coiled around his temples.

_‘She’ll understand, right?’_

Seto contemplated his answer as the tension around his skull slowly constricted.

Ana was just as eternally patient as Mokuba right?  She had tolerated all of his bullshit so far, maybe she’ll tolerate this one last one time?

_‘I’ve made personal sacrifices my whole life, what is one more?’_

All he had done his whole life, aside for Mokuba, was for the benefit his company.Seto couldn’t overcome his fear of doing harm to the one thing he had confined himself to his whole life.  Although every fiber of his being wanted reject Alena’s offer, logically, Seto couldn’t justified it no matter what.

 _'I’ll make it up to her,’_ he promised to himself as he finally responded to Alena.

“I’ll concede to your offer.” He answered.  _‘I swear I’ll make it up to her.’_    
“We have a deal then?” Alena smiled as she extended her hand.   
_‘I’m sorry Ana.’_ Seto took Alena’s hand begrudgingly and shook it once before quickly casting it aside as if it was some cursed object.

“Deal.”


	26. The Confrontation (Edited)

“What do you mean she’s gone!? Find her this instant! Don’t you pathetic fools know who I am? I’m Seto Kaibaaaa! Blue eyes! Blast them with your White Lightning Attaaaack!” The makeup artists and stylists laughed hysterically as Alex pantomimed Seto, waving his hands in the air as he showered everyone in the room with playing cards.    
“Stop moving around so much!” Alex’s assistant admonished between fits giggles as she struggled to strap a bowtie around his neck.    
“That was a dead-on impression wasn’t it? My best one yet.” Alex laughed as he adjusted the black bowtie his assistant finally managed to pin around his neck, “Right Ana?” he asked.  
To his dismay, Ana sat quietly by the marble vanity in the corner of the room sporting the same solemn expression she’s had for the past few hours with eyes fixated on nothing in particular being completely consumed by her thoughts.    
“Hm?” she asked, sitting still as her personal tailor, sent from Oscar de la Renta, adjusted the delicate laces on the sleeves of her stunning gown.  
“Assurez-vous d'accentuer les filles (make sure to accentuate the girls).” Alex mimicked the eccentric tailor, Jacques, with a flick of his hand as Jacques fussed over Ana. 

Silence.

“Nevermind.” Alex sighed, dropping his hands.

“Ladies and ‘gents, will you give us a moment please?” he nodded politely to the crowd of people in his sitting room (which has been transformed into a makeshift dressing for Krevchanko’s Christmas Ball).    
The room promptly emptied as mutters of “yes’s” and “sure’s” followed. 

Alex considered his words as he strolled over to the vanity.  Sitting down on the nearest armchair, Alex placed his hand on Ana’s arm. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when it happened…I-”

“No…” Ana stopped him as she snapped out of her trance, the gash on her wrist burning as the memory the incident flooded her mind.    
  
“I should’ve been looking out for you, I shouldn’t have just left you with…” Alex slammed his fist on his knee; he couldn’t forgive himself for allowing his surrogate little sister to get so badly injured while under his watch. 

“I’m not 12 anymore you know.” Ana joked as she attempted to diffuse Alex’s frustration, although she herself wasn’t feeling her best either.   
“Besides, it was my idiot self who decided to play the hero that night.”  She smiled graciously and thanked to Alex for rescuing her from the hospital.  Ana would’ve definitely gone mad had she been left there to stew over after Seto’s message. 

“That poor nurse by the way! Were you bluffing?” Ana continued as she inhaled sharply, stopping her thoughts from going down that rabbit hole again.  
  
“Nope.” Alex relaxed a little after sensing some improvement in her mood. 

“- _just a friendly reminder that you all work for me now, so get out of my way and keep your mouths shut about this or I’m shutting this place down_ … Where did you learn to terrorize people like that?” she mocked in a deep voice, echoing Alex’s threats to the hospital staff as they tried to stop Ana from leaving. 

“Eh, one learns from the people they meet while doing business.” He shrugged, not taking the risk of mentioning Kaiba’s name again in Ana’s current temperament.  Speaking of Kaiba, what the hell did he say to Ana to her get so dejected? 

“Tell me what happened Ana.”

The day after Seto’s promised return, Alex rushed to the Kremlyovka hospital after receiving an urgent message from Ana’s AI, NERO, informing him of her condition and intent to escape.  As he raced to her room, expecting a half-dead Ana, Alex nearly collapsed out of relief after finding her halfway done disarming the instruments she was hooked up to.

“It’s his fault.” Alex grinned as he tapped at NERO’s microchip that’s now disguised within a set of stunning diamond bracelets. “If he hadn’t sent for me, I wouldn’t have blown up on those _poor_ people.”

“Yeah I need to start checking him for bugs.” Ana laughed as she rubbed her wrist subconsciously.  “You… didn’t tell Mikhail about this right?” she asked quietly, praying Alex hadn’t pulled the same stunt NERO did.

“Oh heck no, knowing his temper? Someone might actually end up dying!” He laughed as Ana nodded in agreement. “On a serious note, you sure you’re ok with this?” Alex’s playful manner morphed into that of concern as he asked. “Don’t feel obligated.” He added.  Although Alex’s appearance at Kravchenko’s function was of vital importance for obvious reasons, he wasn’t going to leave Ana alone again until she was safely back in Japan; and if she wasn’t feeling up to going, he wasn’t going to attend either no matter the fallout.

Grateful to Alex for what he had done,  for her, Ana hid her reluctance. “Of course, duh!” she rolled her eyes playfully while beaming Alex a reassuring smile a little surprised by her own willingness to attend this atrocity of a party for the sake of someone else; especially knowing that her former boss and his now _Instagram-official_ girlfriend were going to be there.

“хорошо (Good)! Jacques! You guys can come back in now!” Alex shouted over his head.  

“By the way, thank you for everything.” Ana said kindly as the sitting room door swung open. 

“Geez, who the hell are you?  Stop being so nice, it’s flippin weird.” Alex shuddered jokingly, but quietly acknowledged her appreciation with a wink as the helpers cheerfully resumed their fussing.

 

* * *

 

The tense and unsettling atmosphere in Seto’s penthouse couldn’t contrast more to the relaxed and jovial ambiance at Alex’s mansion.  Everyone spoke in hushed voices as Seto, Mokuba, and Alena dressed for the soirée.  The feeling of unease was palpable as Seto’s stylists and assistants move around him silently while desperately avoiding his gaze. 

knowing better than to keep him waiting, Jenny, who had taken over as Seto’s primary assistant in the absence of Ana, hastily retrieved a tuxedo from the clothing rack and walked shakily over to her brooding boss.  Well aware of her boss’s infamous temper, the outburst Jenny witnessed yesterday afternoon was excessive, even by Seto’s standards.  She recalled hearing Seto shout in his office as she waited by the door. “What do you mean she’s missing!?  How?  Who helped her?  Answer me you pack of irresponsible idiots.”  To Jenny’s dismay, the rage Seto exhibited upon hearing of Ana’s disappearance wasn’t filled his usual mocking but was much more ominous instead.

Although Jenny, like everyone else, was dying to know why her boss was acting this way over one insignificant little intern (for he never gave two shits about the other employees that had also risked their lives for him), Jenny knew better than to test the patience of an angry Seto Kaiba by asking. 

Alena, on the other hand, was not the least bit bothered by Seto’s ire about Ana’s disappearance for she knew that at the end of the day, he must follow her orders no matter what in accordance to their deal.

Having Seto tightly wrapped around her pinky after trapping him with the agreement, Alena insisted on his attendance at her father’s party despite his worry over Ana’s unknown predicament.

“Useless idiot.” Seto hissed as he ripped his ill-fitting jacket off and shoved it into Jenny’s face. 

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Mr. Kaiba!” Jenny gasped in horror as she realized she had picked up the wrong jacket from the tailor this morning.

”You’re fired. Get out of my sight.” Seto seethed as Jenny bowed over and over, imploring him to reconsider his decision.   
  
“I have the correct one here, Wilhelm just dropped it off.” Mokuba said as he ran in the room holding an identical jacket but with the correct measurements. “Stop crying, you’re just going to make it worse, let me handle it.” he whispered, motioning for the crying Jenny to leave the room.  

“Ready to go, _my dear_?” Alena simpered a few hours later, finally satisfied with her hair style.  “Hmmm.” She smirked as Seto responded with silence.  “The civil affairs minister will be attending the event tonight at father’s behest.” The corner of Alena’s glossy red lips curled into a sneered. “I’ve never known him to linger more than 30 minutes at social functions.” She concluded as her assistant handed her a custom-made Hermes clutch.  Catching her hint as she gave him a mocking leer, Seto reluctantly pocketed his cell phone and allowed Alena to take his arm.

“She’s probably fucking Alex by now my love.” Alena sighed as Seto inquired about Ana with Mokuba.  
  
“Trust me, I know him.” Leaning forward as she brushed a strand of Seto’s hair from his eyes, Alena chuffed at his scowl before letting his hair to fall back In place.

  
“Alex would never let anyone touch him like that.” She added, forcefully reminding Seto of the time Alex has done the same to Ana on the front steps at Krevchanko’s mansion.

“Unless he’s fucking them.” Alena’s ruby red lips curled into a sneer as Seto and Mokuba tensed at Her slander.

“Or if his  _best friend_  is since those two like to share so much.” Alena’s smile vanished into a jealous frown as she mumbled under her breath; believing Alex’s indifference towards her was due to his  _best-friend_  refusal to date her.

“Who’s his best friend?” Mokuba asked, anxious to steer the topic away from Ana. 

”That German-Russian halfbreed.”

 

* * *

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Badr al Din Ansari! And daughters Shamsaa and Shamaamah Ansari!” The announcer bearing Kravchenko’s family crest bellowed over the orchestra as the stylishly dressed Ansari family descended down the grand staircase.  

Determined to evade as much attention as possible, Ana sat quietly to herself in the shadows of the veranda away from the hustle and bustle of the party.

 _‘What is this, the 1800’s?’_ Ana rolled her eyes as the announcer slammed the bottom of his ornate metal staff onto the ground, signaling the conclusion of his announcement.   

Thankful Alex had snuck her in through the side entrance, Ana sipped on her water as she happily hid away from the crowd of egocentric party goers.  The jovial nature of Christmas was lost to Ana. No amount of glittery ornaments or festive music could change her sullen mood as her thoughts continuously raced back to...

“Mr. Seto Kaiba and Ms. Alena Krevchanko!”

Ripples of of water splashed against the of Ana’s crystal glass as her hands trembled at the sound of their names.  
  
Hesitating a glance, Ana peered over to the grand staircase as the Prince and Princess appeared at the entrance.  Cheers erupted from the crowd as they welcomed the two with rounds of enthusiastic applause.  

_“The rumors are true! It IS Seto Kaiba!”_

_“They’re such a beautiful couple!”_

_“When did this happen?”_

Ana’s hear sank as the buzzing of gossiping whispers intensified at the arrival of the celebrity couple.  She watched with bated breath as Seto and Alena descended gracefully down the steps, arm in arm, followed by Mokuba. The whispers are true, they do looked splendid together.  

Even from so far away, Ana could feel Alena’s radiating charm as she greeted her family and friends with a sparkling grin while Seto, poised and relaxed, politely acknowledged each person with a small nod; only the slight reluctance in Mokuba’s demeanor betrayed the tense harmony between them.

Ana glanced down at her simple but elegant dress as Ansari’s 3 daughters ogled after Alena’s princess ball gown. If this was the kind of girlfriend and lifestyle Seto was hoping for in his life, Ana knew she definitely wasn’t the one to have given it him. Thinking it was for the best to have parted ways before she fell even more head over heels over him, Ana pursed her lips as she resigned to her bachelorette fate.

“If it’s any consolation, I daresay you’re the most beautiful person at this party.” Alex declared as he plopped down next to the sullen beauty. 

“That just means your stylists have superior taste in makeup and fashion.” Ana sighed as she slumped backwards onto the chaise lounge and frowned at her reflection in the glass of water.

“Stop being such a downer.” Alex said as he playfully nudged Ana in the stomach.  “Come on, there’s a recently recovered Picasso I want you to see!”

“But I don’t wanna go see!” Ana protested as Alex forcibly her pulled her up from the seat.

“Stop it! Everyone’s looking!” Ana whined in a hushed whisper as Alex dragged her by the hand and snaked their way across the crowd.  
“That’s because you’re stunning.”  
“Shut up!”  
“But it’s true!”

 _‘Oh no.’_ Ana groaned as she recognized a few faces from the charity dinner.

_“Who is she? She’s gorgeous!”_

_“My gosh who designed her dress?”_

_“I’ve seen her before! With Mikhail and Kaiba! And now… Aleksei Vasiliev?”_

Gossip whirled around Ana as Alex guided her through the crowd of curious party goers.  Lowering her head in an attempt to shield her face from on-lookers Ana hadn’t noticed Alex stopping short of their destination and bumped straight into his back.

”Oof, why did you stop?”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Ana snapped up her head so quickly at the sound of Seto’s voice she swore she popped a vertebrate.

“Excuse us.” Alex answered flatly and made a sweeping motioning with his hands.

”Why are you here?” Seto ignored Alex’s indication for him to move and surveyed Ana with stunned bewilderment.

“Can we please leave?” Ana implored uneasily as she shrunk from Seto’s ire.

“I said,  _why are you here?_ ”

“She’s my guest, now out of my way Kaiba.” Disapproving of Seto’s the tone of voice, Alex answered bluntly as he tightened his grip around Ana’s hand. 

“Alex!” Alena looked absolutely livid beside Seto as her face turned red with rage. “You better explai-”

“Have you been with him this entire time?” Seto interrupted Alena’s question in Japanese, cautious of the eavesdropping onlookers.

“I said get out of my way.” Alex warned firmly as he pushed forward, attempting to move Seto aside. 

“Answer my question.” Seto persisted, shoving Alex back. 

“Yes she was, and?” Alex challenged back in Japanese as he eyed wearily at the gathering crowd of drama hungry piranhas. 

“Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to Vasiliev. ” Seto hissed, his body trembled with rage as he inched closer to Ana. 

“Go back to the hotel and wait for me there.” Seto ordered Ana quietly, but the low volume of his voice did nothing hide it’s trembling jealousy.

The hushed whispers grew louder and louder as the patrons whispered amongst themselves.  Juicy gossip traveled around the room as more onlookers gathered around the commotion, dying to conjure up more drama about the unexpected confrontation. 

With no intention of humoring these drama mongers, Ana snapped and pushed her way past Seto and the crowd. 

 

* * *

  
Without knowing where she was going, Ana stormed up the first flight of stairs she encountered after escaping from the great hall.  Ignoring the frantic footsteps behind her, Ana continued forward, assuming it was just Alex following behind. 

Making her way towards what she wrongfully assumed was a way out of the building, Ana groaned in frustration as she trapped herself in Krevchanko’s private gallery.  

“What are you doing here with Vasiliev?”  Ana snapped her head around in surprise as Seto’s snarled from behind.

Standing tall as he blocked the only exit out of the room, Seto stared down at Ana as he regarded her with animosity.

“Well?”

Ana refused to answer and she resume her search for another exit.

“You know what? Alena was right, you are a little gold-digging whore.”

“Whore?!” Ana barked suddenly as Seto echoed the exact same insult she had received at the hospital.  

Incensed by his unfounded accusation, Ana snapped. “What’s it to _you_ if I’m a whore?”

Seto seethed, unable to bring himself to to answer her question.

“I should’ve gotten rid of you when I had the chance.”

”Well why didn’t you?” Ana snarled. The timber of her voice crescendoed as the temperature of her body rose. “Why did you keep me around?” 

”Because-“ Seto glared down as if she was the dirt beneath her feet. “-you’re useful for my revenge against Scholtz.” Seto said with an expression of stone cold indifference as if Ana was nothing more to him than an used spitball.

“That is-“ Seto narrowed his eyes. “-useful only if I decided to fuck you of course.”

Ana stumbled slightly as the floor beneath her feet shook with violent rage.

”And if I wanted a whore.” Seto leered as his intended target swallowed hard his words. “I’d rather pay for a one than than to fuck you for free.” 

Ana bit down on her trembling lips as her vision blurred from the flood of tears that threatened to flow onto her cheeks.  The pounding in her chest ached as her heart slammed against her rib cage like panes of glass hammering to escape from within.

He doesn’t care about her after all.  Not for her life which was nearly forfeited to save his, not for the many sacrifices she’d made to ensure his comfort over her own, nor for the unrequited affection she had so freely offered to him.

”I- I see...”

Ana steadied her trembling hands as she gripped tightly at her stinging wrists. 

 

* * *

  
A priceless painting of Ares and Aphrodite hung mockingly above Seto and Ana as they quarreled over each other’s misguided love.   
  
“What are you doing here with Vasiliev?”

Looming towards Ana as she slowly chipped away at his patience with her silence, Seto’s chest tightened as his jealous fury gnawed painfully at his heart.

Seto was deeply hurt by Ana’s utter disregard of him. Doesn’t she care how worried sick he was over her disappearance? Doesn’t she trust that he will make up for the promise he’s broken? Doesn’t she care how devastating it would be for him to see her in the arms of another man? Doesn’t she know how much he cared?

Seto was desperate to know why Ana had chosen to abandon him.  Was it solely because of his decision of choosing Kaiba Corp?

Ana was specifically instructed to hold off on seeing him until further notice, for which Seto had hoped she understood he meant just until this trip to Russia was over.  On top of that, Seto had fought tooth and nail with Alena for over keeping Ana’s internship, and had fought even harder for to keep her within driving distance.  

Doesn’t she realize how hurtful it was for her to abandon him so easily when he had fought so hard to keep her around?

But Seto had no clue, no clue of the vile, disgusting things Alena had said to Ana at the hospital on _his_ behalf.

_’Did she stage her stabbing so she could get my money?’_

Seto’s thoughts started spiraling out of control as he delved deeper and deeper into paranoia. 

_’What other reason does she have to leave me for Scholtz and Vasiliev other than money?’_

Furious that Ana had manipulated his affection to be used against him, Seto snapped.   
  
“Alena was right, you are a little gold-digging whore."

 

* * *

  
Wiping away the single tear that had managed to escape her eyes, Ana held back her sob. 

Who knew, who knew he had thought of her as this unfuckable gold-digging whore this entire time. 

“I’m sorry to have been such a disappointment Seto.”

But Ana doesn’t know, there was no truth in Seto’s words whatsoever.  

Desperate to keep her around even by unsavory means, Seto wanted to show Ana the extent he’s willing to go should she continue to incur his wrath.  But more importantly, he just want for Ana to get a taste of her own medicine as she maliciously subjecting him to her lies about Mikhail and Alex. 

Taking a deep inhale to steady her breathing.  Ana swallowed her tears as she donned the same porcelain mask she had worn on their first meeting . 

“Seeing that you’ve fired me as well.” Ana reminded as she beheld Seto with her icy veneer.  “I’m no longer subject to your ill-treatment.”

“Now if you will please move aside.” Ana smiles in feigned politeness as she strolled over towards the exit. “I’d like to leave.”

”When did I fire you?” 

Ana let out a sarcastic chuckle as she took in Sero’s incredulity. 

”Very funny Mr. Kaiba.” She nodded mockingly. 

“I’m not joking.” Seto snapped.

”But I’m definitely laughing.”

”When did I fire you?” Why is she lying about this?  
  
“The same day you had your girlfriend come and tell me I’m a pathetic unfuckable gold-digging cunt who you wished had actually died that night.” 

“Why would you believe anything she said!?” Seto demanded, why would Ana ever be stupid enough to listen to Alena? "I never-"

”Because you had just said it yourself.”

Seto froze, Ana was right, he _had_ just called her a whore and a gold-digger, he _had_ told her he wanted her gone, and that he _had_ claimed he would never sleep with her.”

”It was-” Ana continued, the whimper in her voice breaking a crack in her plastic mask. “-it was the same day you had promised to come back.”

Seto’s heart sank in his chest. 

“Besides, it doesn’t matter what I believe.”  Ana stood tall as she soothed the sleeves of her dress. “What’s more important is that you allowed it to happen.” 

"Ana..." Seto sighed. "Ana-"

 

"Shes... coming!" Mokuba panted breathlessly as he pointed at Alena's fast approaching shadow.

"What is going on here?!"  Alena's screeching intensified as the interior of the gallery came into view.

"Let's just hope Mokuba don't turn out like you.” Ana smiled dispassionately. 

Mokuba took a step back at the sudden mention of his name.

"Seto! Get her out of-"

“Whatever Seto did, I'm sure he didn't mean it!” Mokuba defended , desperate to protect his big brother’s innocence whether he's deserving it or not.

“Shut up!” Alena shouted, sick of being interrupted all evening. 

“Don’t you dare tell my brother to shut up.” Seto warned darkly as he shot Alena a menacing glare. 

 _‘Oh, so he’ll defend Mokuba alright.’_ Ana scoffed, unsurprising by Seto’s unwillingness to stand up for _her_ during her time of need. 

“I should've never accepted that internship.” Ana proclaimed bitterly as she saw Alex walking towards the gallery. "Now move." 

“You're not going anywhere!” Seto barked, she can't leave like this, she needed to hear him out first, she needed know it was all a misunderstanding.

Without so much as a glance in his direction, Ana brushed past Seto wordlessly as she reached out to meet Alex's outstretched hands.

“Don’t you dare!” Alena protested as Seto went forth and yanked Ana out of Alex's hold.

“I said, you’re not going anywhere.” He hissed, pulling Ana backwards and spinning her around to face him.  He was furious, not at her, but at himself.

“What's your problem?” Ana shouted, pulling against Seto as he tugged her towards him.

“What about our deal?”  Alena demanded frantically as she took hold of Seto’s arm, hoping desperately for him to let go of the girl she had tried so hard to dismiss from his life.

Throwing Alena off with a quick shove of his elbow, Seto pulled Ana closer. Tightening his grip around her waist, Seto slammed Ana into his chest as he secured her in an embrace. 

“My problem ...” Seto's low husky voice breathed as he pinned her against his body, his heart raced so wildly Ana could feel it pulsating through her own body.  

“…is that...” Forcing her gaze up with her glimmering steel-grey eyes, Seto aligned her lips with his own.

"...I don't like to share."

Just as their lips were millimeters from touching, Seto was forcefully pried apart from Ana as someone interjected themselves between them. 

"Get off of me!" Ana struggled as she was tugged around like a chew toy as the intruder pulled her back and trapped her in his arms.  Ready to throw off whoever it was, Ana wrestled ferociously against her new kidnapper. 

“Oh Annaaaa,” Ana froze as the all too familiar singsongy voice teased from behind.  “What the-?” Turning her head to face her captor, Ana was hopeful in her suspicion.  Could it be? The one person she had been missing dearly since the start of this trip to hell; the one person she knew would've protected her from harm no matter what; the one person she knew loved her unconditionally, unlike the other person who she had mistakenly fallen for.

“Mikhail!!” Ana cried happily at the sight of her big brother.

"Heeey!" Mikhail returned Ana's enthusiasm with an equally ecstatic grin. 

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Ana’s eyes welled up with tears as she bear hugged her beloved sibling.   

Mikhail held his sister close as she buried her face in his shoulders.  Gripping onto the back of his suit jacket, Ana clung onto her brother for dear life, fearing he would vanish if she ever lets go.

“Geez, you’ve never been this happy to see me.” Mikhail joked as Ana started to cry. 

Stroking her hair lightly to sooth his sobbing mess of a sister, Mikhail slowly lifted his gaze and found a pair of murderous blue eyes glaring directly at him.  “Apologies for ruining your romantic moment-” Mikhail drawled mockingly as he narrowed his eyes into a vicious taunting stare.    

“-but I don’t like to share either, Kaiba." 


	27. (Deleted)

Some of Seto Kaiba's finest quotes by THE SPOOKY RED HEAD

(https://thespookyredhead.com/2018/04/13/15-of-seto-kaibas-finest-quotes/)

 

Atem: We’ve arrived at the heart of evil  
Kaiba: Must you be so dramatic?

* * *

Ziegfried: What’s it like being a washed up has-been?  
Kaiba: Why don’t you tell me?

* * *

“AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Aah, I’m funny…"

* * *

(To Yugi) “If I had a dime for every time you said ‘destiny,’ I’d be even richer"

* * *

“Me? Duel you? I’d have more of a challenge playing solitaire”

* * *

Kaiba: So you got a dweeb army. Is that supposed to make me afraid to attack?  
Dartz: No, not unless destroying an innocent soul concerns you  
Kaiba: As a president of a major corporation, I have to do that everyday

* * *

(To Yugi) “Blah,blah,blah. Don’t you get tired of making the same speech every time you’re faced with a challenge? Stop saving the world and get a hobby!”

* * *

Alistar: I’m here to represent everyone whose life was ripped apart by your company!  
Kaiba: Get in line, I hear that speech everyday

* * *

"There’s nothing I can’t afford!”

* * *

Pegasus: I must’ve missed the joke  
Kaiba: You are a joke

* * *

(To Ziegfried) “Get out of my life, and take your bad hair with you!”

 


	28. Tears of Joy

Held in the safety of her brother’s protective embrace, Ana couldn’t suppress it any longer, letting go of everything she had been holding in for the past few weeks, she cried into her brother’s arms like a new born baby. 

“I don’t like to share either, Kaiba.”

“Huh?”

Mikhail’s odd declaration snapped Ana out of her cathartic moment.  She hastily wiped the tears that had blurred her vision and examined her brother’s face. “What are you talking about?” she asked quietly, furring her brows, what mischief could Mikhail be up to this time? 

“подыгрывать (play along),” Mikhail ordered.

"I miss you, my darling!” He exclaimed more making sure everyone heard him loud and clear. 

 _‘What is he playing at?’_ Confused by her brother’s strange behavior, Ana looked around the room for answers.  Seeing nothing but a sea of equally confuses faces staring back at her, Ana found the only exception to be Seto who was busy having a stare down with her brother.

“Mmmhmm _Kaiba-boy_ , go find your own toys to play with.”

 _‘This clown.’_  Seto fumed as Mikhail continued to taunt him, the muscles on his lower jaw ached as he gritted his teeth tightly against one another.  Inching forward, the color of Seto’s knuckles drained as he dug his fingers deep into the palm of his hands.  It had been a long time since he’d blessed someone a well-deserved punch to the face, and right now, every fiber of his muscle is itching to bestow this holiest of blessings over and over again onto Mikhail. 

 _‘Ha, he’s pissed.’_ Mikhail smirked upon hearing Seto’s knuckles pop from his tightly clenched fists. Sensing Seto’s malintent as he stalked ever closer to the two siblings, Mikhail maneuvered Ana behind him just in case Kaiba tries to do anything funny.

Mistakenly grabbing her wrist instead of her hand, Mikhail frowned as he heard Ana’s soft whimper coming from behind him.  Concerned, Mikhail pull Ana up beside him and gently lifted her arms into the air. “Are you hurt or something?” He asked, examining them under the light.

“Why do you have this?” Mikhail scowled at Ana’s medical dressings, barely visible beneath the sleeves of her gown.

“Oh My God! Why is everyone fussing over this gold-digging hussy?!” Ana cried out in sheer frustration; this was suppose to be her night! Her moment to shine! Her moment to be seen in the arms of the most eligible bachelor around!  “I’m sick of her annoying ass!”

“The hell did you say!?” Mikhail eyes widened with astonishment at Alena’s unprovoked outburst. “Don’t start with me Mikhail!” She snapped, clicking her heels impatiently.

Unwilling to start a fight with Alena in her own father’s mansion, Mikhail took a step backwards and he regained his composure. Taking a deep breath as he rested his arms on top of Ana’s shoulders, Mikhail’s face contorted into a sneer. “Get her.” He ordered, waiting for the absolute slaughter of a comeback he’s sure Ana was going to unleash upon this bratty little girl. 

After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity for her pop off on Alena, Mikhail frowned at Ana’s silence and quickly spun her around.

“You’re not going to say anything?!” Mikhail questioned sharply.  

“Why not?!” He asked as Ana looked down and shook her head.

“Since when did you start taking this crap?!” Mikhail cried in disbelief, darting back and forth between gloating Alena and a silent Ana.  

“You’ve trained her well my love.” Alena laughed as she patted Seto on the arm. 

Ana rolled her eyes; it’s not worth it. Accustomed to this type of treatment on the daily from them, Alena’s outburst just now is cakes and rainbows compared to her usual tirade of insults.

Unable to accept Ana’s defeat, Mikhail bent forward until he could Ana’s eyes. 

Getting a good look at Ana’s now tear streaked face, Mikhail noticed how alarmingly pitiful his vivacious little sister had become; her cheeks were sunken as if she hadn’t had a good meal in days; her darkened eye bags, barely concealed by her makeup, looked as if she hadn’t slept in forever. And the way she cried just now, wailing in his arms.  Mikhail can’t recall the last time Ana had cry like that, not since they were kids.  Was she crying because she was happy to see him, or she was crying because of something else?

“What the hell happened to you Ana?” Mikhail asked shakily as he held up her wrist. 

 

* * *

 

Watching Mikhail wrench Ana out of his arms was no less infuriating than if someone had snatched his Blue-Eyes White Dragon out of his hands.  

Adding fuel to Seto’s already raging fire, Ana’s ecstatic reaction at Mikhail’s appearance made everything much more unpleasant for than it already was.  Thinking Ana was going to slap the asshat like she had one at Tatiana’s party, to Seto’s bitter disappointment, she instead chose to embraced her kidnapper.

Sharing was never Seto forte and he was going to make Mikhail pay for his little stunt.  And so will Ana to an extent, for embarrassing him and leaving him exposed in such a vulnerable state.

“Ugh, why is everyone going crazy over this gold-digging hussy?!” Seto glared at the haughty heiress as she threw a hissy fit beside him. Realizing how stupid he was to have trapped himself in this situation, Seto waited for Ana to unleash hell upon Alena for doing this to them.

“You’re not going to say anything?!” Seto concurred with Mikhail’s astonishment at Ana’s silence.    
_‘Of course she’s not.’_ Seto sighed as he thought back to the beginning of the trip, it was all his fault.  It was Seto who unfairly reprimanded Ana whenever she spoke up and it was Seto who shielded Alena from Ana while not showing Ana the same curtesy.

“What the hell happened to you Ana?” Seto’s eyes twitched as Mikhail’s trembling question echoed in the gallery.

“I tripped and fell on my wrist.” Ana answered sheepishly as she darted Seto a pleading glance, warning him of Mikhail’s rising anger. 

 _’Is she trying to warn me?’_ An incredulous Seto stared back at Ana as she shot him another look.  Why is she worried about him? She hates him! 

“Stop lying.” Mikhail ordered, suspicious of her answer after catching Ana’s brief eye exchange with Kaiba.

“I’m not lying. Really! I’m ok!  You know I hurt myself all the tim-.”

“No you don’t!”

 _‘Why is she lying to him?’_ Seto continued to stare at Ana in shock as she dodged Mikhail’s interrogation.  Seto was baffled, why was she denying his involvement in her injuries?  Wasn’t Ana angry with him?  Why was she still trying to protect him?  

_‘Does she still regard me as a friend!?’_

Seto chuffed, he’s wasn’t accustom to this level of loyalty, in business or in friendships; and he’ll be damned if he lets anyone take it away from him. Mikhail doesn’t know shit about Ana, only he, Seto, knows what’s best for her. 

Besides, he had always gotten what he wanted, how he wanted it; when he wanted; like hell he’s going to let Mikhail stop that now.

 

* * *

 

“Come on! Let’s go see that painting Alex was telling me about!” Ana pulled on her brother’s arms in an attempt to distract him, the sleeve of her dress hitched up slightly as she tried to drag him away, exposing a small section of her embossed bandages. 

“Kremlyovka hospital..?” Ana’s face fell as Mikhail read the writings on her bandages out loud.  Before she could pull her sleeves back down, Mikhail quickly snatched Ana’s forearm and held it back in the light. 

Narrowing his eyes for a closer inspection, Mikhail spotted the faint outline of _MoSAIC_ ’s logo showing beneath Ana’s topmost layer of hospital gauzing.  

 _‘This makes no sense…’_ Mikhail wrinkled his brows.  _MoSAIC_ brand of medial dressings are only compatible with MedPod instruments, so why does Ana have them on?

 

_‘Female, 23, 4-inch laceration, severed radial artery, baroreflex mediated blood loss of approximately 2500mL, brain hypoxia induced coma…’_

“Wait…”

 

_‘Female, 23, 4-inch laceration, severed radial artery, baroreflex mediated blood loss of approximately 2500mL, brain hypoxia induced coma…’_

Mikhail’s eyes widened with epiphany as Gerung’s report flashed in his memory.

“Ana… were you-” Mikhail couldn’t bring himself to finish asking the question.

The code blue patient, the first and only MedPod patient to be admitted at Kremlyovka hospital, the patient he himself wasn’t so sure would survive through her ordeal.

“No.” Mikhail’s voice quivered.  No way, not his little sister.

Closing his eyes, he quickly recalled the details of the report.

 _‘But her age, weight, gender, race, height, blood type, location of laceration, even the damn timeline…’_ Everything was a dead matched on. 

Mikhail surveyed Ana as he dragged her under a light; her dishevel state, her lack of energy, her icy hands, her downtrodden mental state…all signs of someone undergoing post-operative recovery.

“He did this to you didn’t he?” Mikhail questioned but he’d already made up his mind.  

The stabbing incident that at Tatiana’s Christmas party; Seto Kaiba’s rumored involvement.  Ana was there, she was definitely there.  Alex saw her in person. 

 _‘Who else could it be?’_  Mikhail’s nostrils’ flared.  

Even if Kaiba wasn’t directly responsible for Ana’s injuries, Mikhail was sure he was somehow involved.  Would Ana have died if it wasn’t for the serendipity of an unoccupied MedPod nearby?  Would Kaiba have just let her died?

Mikhail’s face grew dark as he took a long, hard look the beloved little sister he had almost lost.  Thinking of the immense trauma Ana must have suffered to have ended up in a MedPod, Mikhail’s face warped in a snarl.

“He let this happen to you.” Mikhail growled.

Ana flinched as she watched her brother begin to unravel before her.  “Wh…who?” she muttered nervously, shrinking back as she clutched her wrist to her chest.  She had never seen him so angry before. What should she say? What should she do?  Mikhail had never fully lost control before, not even when alcohol was involved, but this time Ana was sure Mikhail was really going to snap.

“You.” Mikhail growled as he turned towards Seto Kaiba, fully intending to kill him.

Around the corner, Alex shifted uncomfortably as Mikhail geared up for a fight.  Hoping to resolve this in a more diplomatic manner, Alex intervened as he stepped forward. “Hey man, come on, I bet Krevchanko is dying to see yo-”

“Shut up.” Mikhail warned gravely, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

Knowing that Mikhail was about to commit homicide right then and there, both Ana and Alex shot Seto one final look of caution, desperately pleading for him to leave.

“Um, I think we better go.” Mokuba said shakily. He was not willing to stick around long enough to see what Mikhail is capable of.

”I don’t think so.”

And of course, Seto wasn’t going to back down and run off.  

Whatever wrong he had committed, it was between him and Ana, and him and Ana only.  What is little Mikhail going to do about it?

“Leave if you want, but I think he’s in for a long overdue lesson.” Seto scoffed.  He’d had enough of Mikhail intervening in his life; the stupid “ _who’s richer_ ” competitions; the endless media news stories about them; and now, trying to rob his Ana from him.  

“It’s about time you’ve learned where your place belongs.” Seto huffed, whatever feeble attempt of a skirmish Mikhail will try to throw at him, he will be ready to win it, be it a fist brawl or a gun fight.

In a flash, Mikhail lunched forward, escaping Ana’s hold. 

Alena shrieked as Mikhail brushed past her, the force of his speed almost knocking her over.  He had no idea what he was going to do once he reached Kaiba, but all he wanted to do was to cause the man as much pain as possible; as much pain as his baby sister must have endured.

Before Mikhail’s fist made contact with Seto, he was forcibly yanked away and shoved backwards as Alex wedged himself between them.

“You two, behave.” Alex cautioned ominously with a low growl.  Grabbing the shirts on their chest and pushing them away, Alex stood in solidarity between the two CEOs as the rest of the audience did nothing to prevent Mikhail and Seto from reengaging. 

“I don’t care if you’re my best friend or the Present of Kaiba Corp.” Alex continued his warning with impunity, leaving no room for anyone to question his authority.

“Start anything here and you’ll have the rest of tour life to sort it out in the Siberian gulag.” There was no hesitation in his voice to suggest that he was bluffing; Alex wasn’t going to tolerate any more tomfoolery from these two in a house full of his guests. 

 

* * *

  
“What the…” Caught completely off guard by Alex’s sudden change in demeanor, Ana smiled.  Always friendly and laidback, Ana had never seen Alex be so authoritative and intimidating. Hell, did he just successfully admonished two of the most competitive, self-righteous, hot headed men she knew in less than a minute?  Is that part of the job description as a Russian oligarch?

Finding this entire situation far too surreal to take seriously anymore, Ana relinquished to her emotions and laughed. Her stunned audience stared aghast as the sound of her laughter echoed loudly in the otherwise silent gallery.

“An…Ana?” Mikhail asked, horrified his sister has finally lost her mind.

“What?” she chocked, holding the sides of her stomach in an attempt to catch her breath.

“Are… are you ok?” he stammered, letting go of Seto’s collar and inched towards his sister like she’s some sort of coiled snake that’s ready to strike.  

“Does it matter?” Ana chuckled as she scanned at the room full of people gaping wide eyed at her momentary insanity. 

Having no more fucks to give, Ana gently untangled the hem of her dress from an overturned chair and silently adjusted her the fabric of her sleeves to cover her bandages once again.  Turning around to face the exit, Ana waved hand carelessly in the air for her brother and Alex to follow.  Her dark curls bounced lightly against her exposed back and her silky gown swayed to the rhythm of her steps as she stepped away from the gallery.  

“Where do you think you’re going?” Seto asked quickly, unnerved at Ana’s sudden departure.

“I’m going home,” Ana answered happily without glancing back. “Hope we never meet again, Seto Kaiba."


	29. Wherefore art thou?

“Uh, I’m pretty sure Ana has your number alright.” Mokuba scratched the back of his head as he glanced up towards the ceiling.  “I think….” He added, now skeptical of his own memory.

After being asked a million different iterations of the same question by Seto for the past few days, Mokuba was beginning to doubt the validity of his own recollections.  Desperate for any update on Ana's whereabouts, Mokuba had seen Seto check his phone like a religious mad man during his precious minute-long breaks.

“Nii-sama…” Mokuba hesitated, knowing this was a very sore subject for his brother.  “Please just let it go for now.  We need to focus.  The launch is happening in 3 days and we can’t afford any more delays.”  

“I know kiddo.” Seto barely audible reply was followed a soft thud as he set his phone down on the pile of blueprints on his desk.  "Don't worry, I go this." Seto reassured his little brother before resuming his work.   
  


* * *

  
After answering consecutive successions of hour-long phone calls and novel length emails, Seto couldn’t sustain his usual momentum any longer.  Folding his arms before him, Seto leaned forward and collapsed onto his now uncharacteristically untidy desk; he hasn’t been this exhausted since taking those lessons that were forced upon him by his late step father Gozaburo Kaiba. Utterly spent, Seto closed his eyes for a moment and unburdened his thoughts.  But no matter how hard he tried to empty his mind, there was always one thought he couldn’t escape from.

_‘Where the hell is Ana?’_

With Seto’s order, the entire city of Tokyo and Domino now teemed with Kaiba Corp’s private investigators.  Their stakeouts were strategically chosen by Roland help to maximize their chances of catching Ana; her apartment; her school; and even her favorite local haunts.  Too bad there isn’t much data for them to go off of since Ana tend to live like a hermit.  
  
Seto had even gone out of his way and hacked into the government's aviation (and maritime) records to monitor every flight, private or public, in and out of Japan; so far none of them showed any signs of Ana or Mikhail.  After exhausting almost every possible resource to find her under the strain of his current schedule, Seto's attempts were all futile.

Seto was shocked that even Mikhail had disappeared completely off of the radar.  

Still, with all of Kaiba Corp’s men and modern technology at his disposal, why has it been sooo difficult to locate Ana when he, the genius Seto Kaiba, had successfully tracked down a deceased Egyptian Pharaoh through the miracle of time and dimension travel?

Agitated, Seto’s keyboard shuffled loudly as he slammed fingers down against the keys.   
_‘If it wasn’t for Mikhail’s damn sidekick.’_ If it wasn’t for Alex’s forceful intervention, Seto would’ve definitely been able to stop Ana from leaving in Mikhail’s car that night.  But Mokuba was right, he needed to focus right now.  Not only did that unnecessary excursion with Alena costed Seto a ton of invaluable time, he had also lost out on a potentially lucrative business opportunity with Russia. 

Desperate to recuperate the lost time and money, Seto had decided to relinquish his sleep for the next few nights.

_‘Just a few more days to go. No more mistakes from now on.’_

 

* * *

 

“Sir, Sheeri is here to see you.” Hiroka announced over her headpiece as she signaled for a stunning young blonde to wait by the receptionist’s desk. 

“Who?” Seto asked absentmindedly, the sound of his keyboard could be heard clicking in the background.

“Your new Jr. housekeeper sir, she brought you a change of clothes.”

“Whatever.”

Having been chained to his desk for the past few days, Seto had been using showers breaks as an momentary excursion to escaped his stifling confinement.  

As the stress piled on throughout the weeks so did the frequency of his visits to the shower; going through a minimum of 3 sets of clothing every day.

“Go ahead.” Hiroka gestured kindly, holding the door open as Sheeri strutted down the darkened hallway towards Seto’s office in her impractically tall 5-inch heels.

Supporting an armful of garment bags in her hands, the sharp rhythmic clacking of Sheeri’s red heels ceased as she entered Seto’s office.

“Mr. Kaiba?  I have your change of clothes.”  

No answer.

“Mr. Kaiba, where would you like for me to put them?”  Again, despite raising the volume of her voice, Sheeri still went unacknowledged.

“Sir?” She asked again, her tone now brazen.

“Can’t you see that I’m busy?” Eyes still glued to his screen, Seto let out an exasperated sigh as he curtly tilted his chin towards a random piece of furniture.  Why is his being interrupted right now over clothes? Shouldn’t someone beneath him have handled it already?

 

* * *

 

“What?” Seto snapped few minutes later after noticing Sheeri still lingering in his periphery.

Brushing her well-manicured fingers through her curls, the young housekeeper looked down to the ground as she carefully untangled a knot from her strawberry-blond hair.  

Pouting her lips as she twisted her torso from side to side, she said.  “Um Mr. Mokuba wanted to make sure you're ready for this evening’s press conference.” 

“So?” Seto snapped, his tone was of nothing but pure annoyance.

“I, I can help you if you’d like.”

The rapid sound of ticking stopped as Seto ceased his typing.  Looking up from the screen, Seto surveyed the blonde closely. 

Is she seriously tying to flirt with him right now? Right now?!

“Oh yeah? How are YOU going to help me with anything?”  Seto asked derisively, only entertaining her impertinence out of sheer curiosity.

Sheeri was rendered momentarily speechless as she processed everything. Wow, did Mr. Kaiba just acceded to her request? Is he actually talking to her right now and not just dismissing her like he had always done?

“Are you going to say anything?”  Seto asked, disappointed at Sheeri’s silence.  He can’t be expected to banter with silence!  

Taking a quick moment to recompose herself, Sheeri, bolstered by Seto's invitation to continue, smiled with new found confidence.  

“Oh, I can help you with many things, Mister Kaiba.”  She emphasized, swing her voluptuous hips from side to side as she sauntered towards him.

“Well, for one.” Sheeri continued, disregarding her facade of innocence as she curled her lips into a suggestive smile. “I can help with your paperwork.” she proposed as she leaned forward, pressing her palms against the top of his paper covered desk. 

Seto was unimpressed, this isn't his first rodeo, it’s going to take a lot more than that to seduce a man like him, but he'll play along for now.

”And?” He added, leaning back into his chair as he cocked an eyebrow at her.  “What else?” Smirking, Seto swiveled in his office chair as he pressed the tip of his pen to the corner of his mouth.  

Sheeri stared with her mouth wide open as Seto slowly loosened his tie.  Unable to look away from the absolutely sex god that is her boss, Sheeri nearly hyperventilated watching Seto survey her with his hungry eyes.

”Waiting.”

Swallowing hard as she snapped back to reality, Sheeri wondered how many girls would kill to be in her position right now. 

Falling for Seto’s game, Sheeri continued.  “I will do anything you ask of me.”  Narrowing her eyes into a sultry gaze, Sheeri squeezed her breasts together with her arms as she planted her hands on his desk.

“But what I would really like is-" Her fingers graced suggestively against her cleavage as she tilted her head towards the pile of clothes on the couch. "-to help you out of those clothes Mr. Kaiba.” 

“Mmhmm.” Seto scoffed as he tossed his pen on his desk. “And how do you plan on getting me out of them.”

In one swift motion, Sheeri unzipped the front of her dress and slid herself over to the other side of his desk.  Seto frowned scathingly as she careless scattered his papers on the ground. 

"Mr. Kaiba." she crooned as she climbed onto his lap. "If you’ll just let me help you relax." Sheeri moaned into his ear as she started to move her hips. But despite her best efforts to get him to participate, Seto kept his hands firmly planted on his armrest as Sheeri wrapped her arms around his neck.  

Like any other man in their youthful prime, Seto starved for physical affection.  But even as Sheeri rubbed her naked-ass self all over his body, Seto found himself barely, if at all, aroused.  

Something is wrong, something is missing.

 _‘No, SHE’s the one lacking something…’_   and whatever it is, it's a turn off. 

“Tell me," Seto asked suddenly, stalling Sheeri from performing her next set of moves. "What is a Zwischenzug?” 

“Uh.” Sheeri was puzzled. “A brand of beer?”

_‘No, it’s a chess move.’_

 

“Who is Nikolai Ladovsky?” He continued, still no action in his pants.

“Your… new accountant?”

 

“What’s Planck’s constant?”

“Like a plank of wood kinda plank?”

 

“Who painted The Last Supper?”

“Jesus!”

 

Realizing the reason for his lack of arousal, Seto groaned; since when did his penis strike over someone's ignorance?

With his mind still preoccupied by this revelation, Seto jumped as Sheeri grabbed a handful of his manhood and started to move her hands.  "I'll do whatever you want Mr. Kaiba." She whispered, biting down hard on her lips as she slipped under his desk.

Casting the scantily clad girl a look of utter disgust, Seto dragged out from his desk and pushed her off.  "Get out." He ordered, glaring at her as she hastily retreated.

“Did I do something wrong?”

"If you're not out of my office within 5 seconds I'll have you thrown out." 

Baffled, but unwilling to push her luck any further, Sheeri quickly zipped up her dress and apologized profusely as she ran out the door wondering what just gone wrong.  She would've never have guessed in a million years that of all of the inappropriate things she had done, it was the inconsequential act of biting her lips that had sealed her fate.

"Dammit!" Seto cursed loudly at his computer as he tried over and over again to refocus on his work.  "Hiroka! I want that new maid fired!" He shouted into his earpiece.

Brushing his hair back with his hands, Seto leaned back against his chair as his mind flooded with thoughts of Ana once again. 

Placing his hands over his face, images of Ana flashed before Set’s eyes as sweat poured from his body.  Oh how he wished it was Ana, not Sheeri, who had been the one to have straddled him; that it was Ana who had been the one to have moaned into his ear; and that it was Ana who had bit down on her rosy pink lips and stared at him with ravenous hunger. 

Feeling his temperature rise, Seto loosened his tie even more and stood from his office chair.

 

* * *

 

“It’s freezing in here!” Mokuba exclaimed as he walked in on Seto pacing frantically around his office.

“Why-”

“She brought it upon herself.” Seto replied before Mokuba could ask, hearing sounds of sobbing in the hallway.  

“I was going to ask why you have the air conditioning on in the middle of winter.” Mokuba clarified, unbothered by the maid crying in the corridor; it's normal to experience grief after encountering Seto, Mokuba is just more normalized to it. “But now I HAVE to ask, why is she crying.”

“Who cares?” Seto shrugged dismissively as he reclaimed his seat, looking rather crossed.

“Ok, what’s on your mind big bro?” 

Mokuba frowned as Seto seized up at his question.

“Does it matter what’s on my mind?” Seto snapped as he jumped up again from his chair, drenched in sweat; he’d rather Mokuba stay ignorant of the racy thoughts on his mind.

“Give her another call.” Seto said quietly, grabbing a garment bag as he made his way to the door.

“Where are you going?” Mokuba shouted, dialing Ana as ordered.

“I need a shower.”


	30. What's this?

“♬ _All I want for Christmas, is yooou_.” Mariah Carey’s belting voice complimented Ana and Mikhail’s festively decorated condo nicely, even on low volume.  It wasn’t easy, procuring a luxury condominium in the heart of Domino City, even during the holiday season where the housing market is basically on a standstill.  Not to mention how difficult it was to maintain the secrecy of this transaction, considering the large sum of money that had exchanged hands and the status of the buyer.  

“Come on you bastard, get ‘em.” The Xbox controller shook violently in her hands as Ana mashed down on the buttons.  With her semester ruined anyway, Ana decided to take a much-needed sabbatical for the sake of her health and sanity.  “Just a little more….Gotcha!” Scoring the final kill shot, Ana breathed a sigh of relief as the dying mini boss let out an agonized shriek.  A few seconds later, the enchanting melody of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy replaced the game’s never-ending dubstep soundtrack as the TV faded into a silent loading screen.  Reaching quickly over to her phone, Ana opened her music app and quickly pressed skip. The song was too much of a reminder of Seto Kaiba.

 

* * *

 

[A few weeks earlier]

A flyer was shoved hastily into Ana’s hands as she ambled about Moscow city.  Crumpling the piece of paper without looking, she tucked it into her jacket and promptly forgot its existence.  It wasn't until a few days later, when she was emptying her pockets, did she find it again.  

Skimming through the wrinkled flyer, a grin spread over Ana's lips as she begins to read its contents in earnest; it was advertisement for Bolshoi Theater’s performance of The Nutcracker.  Excited for the opportunity to see one of Russia's finest ballet companies live, Ana reached for her phone and searched for tickets.

 

“I’m sorry miss but the tickets are completely sold out.” The concierge was very apologetic. “And the two extras we usually have on reserves were booked by a guest a few days ago.”

“Whatever they paid; I’ll double it.” Unable to locate any tickets online, even from scalpers, Ana bartered with the concierge as she reached for her Black Card.

“The thing is, the guest in question actually bought it off of someone else at triple the price.”

“Who-”

“What’s this?” With one hand holding Ana at bay, Seto's eyes quickly scanned the piece of paper he had just snatched from her hands.  “Ballet? I don’t remember giving you permission to go see a ballet during work hours.”  He smirked.

“I didn’t plan on asking.” Ana protested, pouting her lips with anger. “Besides, you’re always busy with Alena in the evenings anyways, so why can’t I go?”  Without answering, Seto kept the flyer well above Ana's head as she stood on her tippy toes and attempted, but failed, to retrieve it from him, .  “Now give it!” she shouted.  Amused by her temper tantrum, Seto kept a straight face as he raised his arm even higher, keeping it out of her reach. “I’ll permit your little outing if you can grab it from my hands.”

“Uh Mr. Kaiba?” The concierge interrupted nervously amidst their struggle, glancing around at the lobby full of curious stares.

“The Russian princess won’t be in town that day.” Seto said matter-of-factly as he carelessly tossed the flyer back to Ana.  “Mokuba is taking her skiing.”

“Perfect, you can enjoy some peace and I’ll be enjoying the balle-“

Holding up a hand to stop Ana’s rambling, Seto addressed the concierge. “I’ll quadruple whatever she offers, just make sure no one touches my tickets.” He then addressed Ana. “Make sure you wear something appropriate that night, you won't even make it through the front gate in those rags you call clothes.”

Seto laughed as Ana stared in bewilderment.

 

“Well miss, you wanted to know who got the last two tickets.” The concierge gestured towards Seto as he exited the lobby. “We do offer complimentary fittings however.” He continued. “Which designer shall I send for you?”

 

* * *

 

Desperate to keep her attention away from the ballet she never got to attend with her former boss, Ana cranked the gaming soundtrack up to full volume.  Admittedly, being stuck on life support was a pretty good reason for missing the show anyways.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee emanated from the kitchen was followed by a loud yawning.  “What the hell are you doing up so early?” With a _Russian Stallion_ mug in one hand, a disheveled looking Mikhail sauntered into the living room sporting his comfy Spiderman pajamas.  “Jet lagged.” Ana lied.

Snow was falling again, covering the city below like a blanket of white cotton candy. It was nearly Christmas, and unlike the poor employees at Kaiba Corp, who are frantically trying to ready the launch for Christmas eve, MoSAIC workers had always enjoyed extra days of paid holiday leave.  One of the many perks working for a nonretail-based company.

“Jet lagged? It’s been a couple days already.”  A look of concern spread across his face as Mikhail sipped on his coffee.  His overcautiousness about Ana’s wellbeing had not waned since they left Russia, and it probably wouldn’t for a while.  “Just don’t turn into a zombie.” Mikhail warned airily, flicking Ana on the forehead and found his way to a window seat.  

“Why couldn’t we have gone back to New York for Christmas?” He questioned, frowning at the city of Domino below, wishing instead it was his penthouse view of Central Park.  “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, remember?” Ana smiled weakly as she resumed her game.

“That’s a proven logical fallacy.” Mikhail tried to argue, but knew that so far, the strategy had proven true; no one had yet to find Ana.

“You sure I can’t kill him?” He asked after a few minutes of silence, more serious than joking.

The silence resumed as Ana paused her game.  “Please stop asking about him Misha.” She pleaded like she had done countless time before, pleading for Mikhail to forget whole ordeal.  Ana was completely capable of returning to her old life if she can just pretend like nothing had ever occurred, or so she thought.  But she was lying to herself, holding onto the one shred of doubt that perhaps one day, she would like for Seto to be in her life again as she eagerly waited for his calls everyday. 

“♬ _Let it go! Let it go!”_   Ana sighed as Elsa's perfectly timed song blared from her speakers. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind and un-paused the game.

 

“What do you want for Christmas?” Mikhail, feeling guilty over Ana's now sulky mood, smiled as he attempted a distraction.  “Want a new car? Bugatti has been bugging me buy another one of their Chirons”

 

While her main attention focused on the game, Ana’s subconscious, without hesitation, conjured images of the inebriated jerk she had caught in her arms that night at the _club-of-stabbing_ ; the arrogant asshole looked so good in his half-buttoned up dress shirt. 

“A naked Seto-”

_‘Oh fuck!’_

“-f Goblin Decoy Squads.”

 

“A naked set of Goblin who-da what?!?” 

 

' _Fuck me, a duel monster card of all things?’_ Ana groaned at her simultaneously genius but horribly botched recovery.  She must've seen the Goblin Decoy Squad card in Seto’s Duel-X inventory when he visited during her hospital stay.

 “I mean a naked set of, uh, Dublin Malfoy …frauds.

“The fuck?! It still doesn’t make any sense!”

“You know… those counterfeit Harry Potter collectables they sell in… in Ireland.”

Mikhail tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow at his flustered sister.  Deciding it wasn’t worth the trouble to prod, Mikhail rolled his eyes facetiously. “Oookay, I’ll get you a fake Irish Malfoy…whatever the fuck that is.”

 

* * *

 

With only one more day to go until the launch, there was only one item left on Seto’s to do list.

“The duel monster AI had not been updated since its last use, and there too many bugs to risk updating it on such short notice.”  The lead researcher cautioned against Seto's request to reuse the duel robot for the Duel-X demonstration.

“Perhaps Yugi Moto-”

“No.”

Seto had already beaten Yugi once before, there's not need to do it again.  Besides, Yugi is no fun without the pharaoh around.

 

“Pegasus?”

“No.”

The man will just try to steal the show and his gaping eye socket will scare the kids.

 

“Maybe we could ask Joey.”  Seto winced at Mokuba’s ridiculous suggestion.

_‘Like hell I would ever consider Wheeler, unless it’s to humiliate him…Wait! That’s it!’_

Eureka! Seto jumped so fast from his chair he knocked it over backwards.  “Mokuba get the Crystal Cloud broadcast system ready.  I have a personal invitation I’d like to extend.”

 

* * *

 

A day before Christmas eve, the normally quiet condo buzzed with lighthearted conversation as Mikhail and a few of his closest friends chatted over some drinks.  The festive holiday atmosphere and Mikhail’s hilarious friends improved Ana’s melancholy mood greatly.  As they partied away, some guests started singing along to the obligatory Christmas movie playing on TV.  Meanwhile Mikhail, and his more competitive friends, argued over fake money as they sabotaged each other through a good-old-fashioned game of monopoly.

“ _♬What’s this? What’s this? There's color everywhere. What's this? There's white things in the air_.”  Ana hummed cheerfully along as she excused herself to procure some food for her and Alex.

“The fuck is this?!”

Ana stopped pouring her cereal as a shout came from the living room.  Assuming it’s just someone singing their R rated remix of Jack Skellington’s song, Ana resumed her food prep and didn’t notice that the music had actually ceased playing.

 

“Greetings.” 

Ana’s heart thumped wildly as a familiar voice boomed over her now silent condo.  From the kitchen lookout, Ana noticed the unmistakable blue and black hue of Kaiba Corp’s logo emanating from the livingroom TV.   Then suddenly, all at once, everyone's electronic devices beeped with identical sound of notifications; all flashing with a message from Kaiba Corporation.

With the half filled cereal bowl still in hand, Ana rushed into the living room just in time for the KC logo to disappear. 

“Apologies for interrupting whatever uninteresting show you were watching.” Seto, looking thoroughly unapologetic, announced from behind his office desk.  “As you are all no doubt aware, in less than 24 hours-time, Kaiba Corp will be announcing our next generation VR console; the greatest gift any one could ever hope to receive.”

“I bet he masturbates to his own reflection.” Mikhail mocked loudly, pouring himself another drink.

“And as an added bonus, I have decided to stage a demonstration to my loyal, adoring fans and showcase the capabilities of my newly perfected Duel Disc-X system.” Ana snickered to herself, it's so like Seto to hijack the whole damn internet just to announce some demo-duel.  She played with pieces of cereal in her bowl as she waited for Seto to continue his outlandish commercial.

Instead, Seto donned his signature smirk with the upmost smugness and declared: “I hereby challenge Mikhail Scholtz, president and CEO of MoSAIC Corporation, to a duel of a lifetime at my new Duel-X AR Arena in Domino City!"

The loud shattering of Ana’s cereal bowl went unnoticed as everyone glued themselves to the TV, completely slack jawed at Seto’s _invitation_.

“Tune in tomorrow night at 9:00PM.  I will grant Scholtz a swift defeat befitting of his mediocrity and, once and for all, affirm my superiority over anyone who dares to cross me.”

Narrowing his eyes at the camera as if he’s addressing Mikhail personally. “Let’s settle this man to man Scholtz, may the best CEO win.” 

 

And with that, the Kaiba Corp logo flashed one last time before the pseudo-cheery melody of Jack’s Lament, albeit out of order, resumed.   No one said a word as Mikhail stared dumbfoundedly at nothing, his half drunken mind still processing of Seto's brief but succinct message.  Unable to take the awkward tension any longer, Alex nudged at Ana's arms as he braved an attempt to break the silence. 

“Pss, Ana." He called, loud enough for everyone to hear.  "Now THAT-."  Alex pursed his lips with mocking sympathy as he pointing a finger at the back of Mikhail's head. 

"-Is what I call a nightmare before Christmas.”


	31. #KaibavsMikhail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! Please feel free let me know what you think :)

“Kaiba! Kaiba-!”

“Mikhail! Mikhail-!”

The wild chant of over a hundred thousand fervent spectators reverberated in the fully enclosed Duel-X stadium as the crowd cheered for their perspective champions more than 30 miles into the stratosphere. 

“Oh _Kaiba-boy_ , you’ve outdone yourself once again!” Pegasus chuckled to himself in the VIP area as he raised a glass of bubbly Rosé and toasted the air.  Kaiba Corp managed to pull off yet another engineering marvel, constructing of the first ever large-scale aerial infrastructure; held in suspension by no more than a few ground-tethers and the tangential force of our fast spinning planet.

In media pit of the center stadium, reporters from every major news network scrambled to deliver the latest updates to the millions of viewers from around the world.  With more famous people in attendance than Coachella could ever hope for, #CEOshowdown and #KaibavsMikhail now duelled for the top trending topic of the day as celebrities and influencers jammed the network with incessant posts to their social media fanbases.

 

An eruption of cheers exploded from the audience as the stadium lights dimmed and a giant holographic display beamed over the coliseum. 

“5, 4, 3-” the audience counted in perfect unison as they shouted in sync to the hovering timer.

 

Having observed his charismatic older brother captivate an entire generation for the better half of a decade, Mokuba was ready to showcase his talent as the new master of showmanship at Kaiba Corp.; gaining a few inches after hitting puberty definitely helped too.  Spending no more than a few short minutes on a brief introduction of Kaiba Corp’s new duel disc technology, Mokuba promptly announced the start of the face-off he knew everyone was dying to see.

“Are you guys ready?!” Mokuba, acting as MC, shouted into his headset as he rose above the crowd in a hovering platform, whipping the crowed into an absolute frenzy as the two young contenders stepped into the ring, each holding a custom version of the latest Duel-Disc X. 

The platform beneath their feet rose and leveled with Mokuba's as countless camera drones swarmed and buzzed around them. 

Seto, sporting his signature trench coat, stood tall on the blue platform as he assessed his rival with stern abhorrence; his elitist attitude radiating an irresistible confidence so imposing it’s impossible to ignore. “Ready for the humiliation of a lifetime?” Seto smirked as his iris tracker whirled about his headpiece, calibrating the tracker aligning with the movement of his eyes. 

“Whatever you say _Kaiba-Poo_.”  On the opposite platform, Mikhail stood equality poised as he incited laughter from the crowed with a spot-on Pegasus impression.  Dressed in an impeccability tailored suit, Mikhail contrasted sharply against Seto’s staunch authoritarian posture with his much more debonair charming persona.  Completely unperturbed by Seto’s stare down, Mikhail merely placed his free hand in his pocket and smiled at the crowd as he waited for the duel to begin.

Although sure of his inevitable victory, Mikhail’s airy complacency struck a nerve with Seto.  “Your funeral Scholtz.” Seto declared as their duel disks sprung to life.  “I’ll be sure to give you a shout out in my eulogy.”  Mikhail smirked as he shoved the deck of cards Ana had carefully prepared into the card slot.

The enormous holographic timer shattered into millions of pieces before it re-coalesced into a live jumbotron, rotating around the arena as it covered the two contestants from every angle possible.

With one last thundering roar from the crowd, Mokuba signaled.

“It’s time to duel!”

 

* * *

 

“That’s right rich BOI!! Who’s da third-rate duelist with da fourth-rate deck now suckaaa?!” A half-filled cup of sake splashed onto Ana’s back as someone from the next table jumped over Seto losing a huge chunk of his life-points. 

“You idiot! Now look what you’ve done!”

“What Téa?! Don’t interrupt me when I’m celebratin- Ouch!” The blond yelped in pain as the brunette, apparently named Téa, smacked him hard on the back of the head. “That’s what!” she pointed at Ana’s drenched jacket.  "Do you know how expensive that brand is?" she scolded.  “Huh? Oh! I’m so sorry! My bad!” The boy, upon realizing his mistake, apologized profusely as he dabbed Ana's back with a flimsy napkin.

“Hm? It’s ok.” Ana waved absentmindedly as she took off her soiled jacket, trying to remain focus on the small screen TV.  “NERO, tell Mikhail to play the trap card next, face down.” Ana whispered into her bracelet as she pretended to sip on her tea; the crowded little restaurant in the heart of Tokyo was the perfect place to hijacked cellphone signals.  “NERO, play the trap card face down.” Ana repeated. Going to a small izakaya seemed like a good idea at first, but having to maintain discretion while giving clear dictation over the screeching spectators was fast becoming annoying.

Now waiting for Seto to take his turn, Ana took the opportunity and had a good look at the person who showered her with alcohol earlier.  “You’re Joey Wheeler!”  She exclaimed at the slightly inebriated cute looking blonde beside her, her eyes widening with astonishment.  “You know who I am!?!” Joey beamed as he spun around to face her, thoroughly pleased by her recognition.  “Sure I do.” Ana smiled, giggling to herself, looking forward to the hilarious commentary Joey will no doubt provide as she slowly chips away at Seto’s life-points; finding their rivalry to be the best thing ever since sliced bread. 

“Want my autograph?!” Joey grinned as he randomly pulled out a sharpie from his pocket, ready to sign anything and everything.

“Uh, no thank you.” Ana rejected politely, slightly weirded out by his overt enthusiasm.

“Wanna go out on a date?! I can introduce you to my pal Yugi!” Joey persisted.

 _‘Well that escalated quickly!’_ Ana raised an eyebrow at the sudden request, though somewhat impressed by his frank directness. _‘But I’ve met that shrimp already at Kaiba Corp.’_

“No thank you.” Ana shook her head.

“Wanna checkout my deck? My Red-Eyes is so much cooler than Kaiba’s lame Blu-”

“Sit Down Joey!!” Téa, face red with embarrassment, grabbed him by the collar and spun him back around. “Sorry about that.” Placing herself between her drunken friend and the stranger, Téa smiled sheepishly as Ana responded with a quick nod before returning to the TV.

“Ok, if Seto summons another the Blue-Eyes White Dragon within the next 2 turns, activate the trap card.” Ana whispered as she brushed her fingers through her hair.  NERO acknowledged her order with a low beep and relayed the information to Mikhail through tactile sensors that were temporarily implanted in his hands.  Even with the amped up security in preparation for the launch, infiltrating Kaiba Corp’s mainframe went easier than expected.  But that’s only because Ana took full advantage of Hiroka’s ID card that she had illegally copied, obtaining full access to Kaiba Corp as an administrator.

  
“Hahaha! Kaiba is so screwed! Did ya see that Bakura? Did ya see that!?”  Joey rejoiced once more as Mikhail destroyed another one of Seto’s Blue Eyes with the aforementioned trap card.  “Ugh I flew all the way from America for this?  I need some female friends.”  Téa complained as Joey and their table of cohorts laughed at Seto’s demise.  “Hey, um so what’s your name?" She tapped Ana on the shoulder. "I’m Téa.”

 _'Oh no no no.'_ After suffering her friendship speeches secondhand from watching Battle-City re-runs, Ana had no intentions of cringing through any of Téa’s spiels in person. “ごめんなさい (Sorry).” Ana attempted in her best broken Japanese, hoping it would deter any conversation.  “I can speak English! At least I think I heard you spoke English earlier.  I’m currently studying abroad in America!” Téa beamed.  _‘Fuck.’_ Ana looked around, she can’t leave, not until she hijacks a new network but it’s too risky right now with Mikhail’s turn coming up. “I speak Russian.” Ana attempted once more, with broken English this time, and it worked.

“O-oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn't have bothered....” Ana breathed a sigh of relief as the heartbroken Téa apologized and traded her place back from Joey.

“No way Kaiba can win this duel now! Unless he cheats!” The blond shouted as he stumbled back into his seat next to Ana.

“Oh come on, that’s going a little too far, Kaiba may be an arrogant jerk but we all know he’s not a cheat.”

" _Screw the Rules, I have Money._ How is that not cheating?"

"That's just a meme Joey!"

Eavesdropping on their rowdy debate over the principles of dueling ethics, Ana wondered if the surrogate duel she and Mikhail is playing would be considered as cheating. _‘Yeaaah, but it’s perfectly justified.’_  Ana shrugged.  It was unfair of Seto to issue such a public challenge in the first place, especially to someone who had no experience playing duel monsters whatsoever, and under such a short notice no less knowing Mikhail couldn’t reject the challenge with MoSAIC’s reputation on the line.

“Get your shit together Scholtz and kick Kaiba's ASS!” Joey’s Brooklyn rage knocked Ana out of her trance; Seto made a surprising comeback and regained the upper hand. _‘Dammit, why do I always end up getting distracted over him?’_ Ana scrambled to make a recovery.  Even though she was quite familiar with Seto’s strategy and play style, still an inexperienced duelist herself, the game was becoming progressively more difficult as Seto upped the ante.

“I guarantee Kaiba is gunna play dat crush kaad next.” Joey, now speaking with a heavy accent as alcohol saturated his system, downed another cup of sake.

“Is that right?” Ana inquired quietly in Japanese.  Despite trying to keep a low profile, Ana couldn’t help but to engage with him, she needed all the advice she can get right now.

“Oh fo’ shore! You see I almost beat rich-boi dis one time but then he ran away on his choppa and I chased afta him but then he got on dis giant blimp and blew up his old man's island but then Bakura found some milk on da blimp and then two weirdos named Darts and Zig-freak showed up and-”

“Who are you talking to Joey? Shut up!”

“No, YOU shut up Tristan!”

Risking the advice of a drunken monkey, as Seto liked to call him, Ana played her next move accordingly.

 

_'Oh shit he was right!’_

Ana’s ceramic teacup was nearly knocked out of her hands as Joey leaned over and enthusiastically clinked it with his own. “See? I told ya he would play dat! Cheers!”  

“Kanpai.” Ana extended her arm and returned the gesture as Seto’s life points plummeted again.

“What the?” From the live coverage, Ana could hear a violin melody gradually crescendoing, eventually replacing the background music entirely as Mikhail’s monster engulfed the stadium in digital flames. “NERO! What the hell is going on?” Ana demanded sharply into her bracelet. “I just destroyed Kaiba’s Fortress of Coliseum. Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned to ashes, so why can’t I?”

“Stop it! You’re gonna get us in trouble!”

“Fine, whatever.”

“Don’t sass me!” _‘Can’t believe I’m arguing with my own AI.’_ Ana sighed as the background music returned to its original EDM glory, _‘And_ _let’s hope no one heard any of that.’_ she prayed.

“Who knew Kaiba had such an eclectic taste in music.” Bakura joked. “Never took him for a violin admirer, seemed more like a cello kinda guy.”

 _‘Dammit NERO!’_ Ana cursed, even more incensed now Bakura that has reminded her of the night she lost the Stradivarius.

_‘Don’t forget I almost froze to death standing outside waiting for Roland to show up.’_

But Seto was nice enough to give her his jacket; and the car ride kinda made up for the shitty auction as well, especially with the little chessboard game she played with him.  _‘Can’t believe I ended up at his house that night too.’_ The way Seto dozed off on the couch in his office ’ _Ugh he looked so seexy.’_  Ana recalled how his handsome face was illuminated by the faint orange glow from the fireplace.  _‘He smelled extra good that night too.’_  
  


“Focus Ana! Focus!” Catching herself wandering off on another tangent, Ana patted her cheeks and resumed her attention on the duel.

 

* * *

 

“Of all people…” Finding Mikhail more challenging to duel than Yugi, Seto seethed as he crinkled the digital duel monster cards between his fingers.  Why is he, the world champion Seto Kaiba, struggling to beat some amateur idiot? “My Turn!” Seto declared in frustration as he planned his next move.  _‘Thankfully, his skills are no match for the Pharaoh’s.’_ Seto thought, _‘At least not yet.’_ Although Mikhail is coming dangerously close, especially with a Dark Magician in his deck; Seto wasn’t sure if he should be worried or excited by the prospect.

“Impossible.” Seto’s life-points to drop to a critical low as Mikhail destroyed another one of his high-powered monsters using a pair of magic and trap cards.   _‘I know I’ve seen this exact combination before.’_ Seto frowned as he pondered over the deja-vu. _‘Now that I think about it...’_ Seto felt an odd sense of familiarity with the way Mikhail had been dueling.

“But why?”

Upon hearing Seto’s disembodied question, Mikhail raised his duel-disc to chest height and checked his life-points.  “Because I’m cooler and better looking.” He mocked, deliberately misinterpreting Seto’s rhetorical question. “And apparently I’m a better duelist as well. At least that’s what she told me.” Mikhail sneered, waving suavely at his sea of screaming fans as they jumped for his attention. “You know who I’m talking about.” He added with an impish grin, relishing in Seto’s obvious discomfort for having to confront this sore topic.

“In fact I do.” Seto growled as he regained his composure and drew from his deck. “My turn, I play-”

 _'Hold_ _on a minute.’_ The monster card hovered over the empty card slot as Seto abruptly ceased all movement. “If it’s _her_ we’re talking about.” He repeated, recalling the Ana's strategy against his automated system back in Moscow.  A smile stretched across his lips as Seto returned the card to his hand.  ' _I've got you now Scholtz.’_  Seto closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he roared with laughter; Ana’s unique playstyle may have given Mikhail the upper hand thus far, but now it will be their ultimate downfall.

 

“What the-?” Mikhail startled, taken aback by Seto sudden maniacal change in behavior.  “You know, I was beginning to take you seriously Scholtz.” Seto’s scoffed as he played a card to discard his entire hand and re-drew a new set.  “I knew there was no way a loser like you could ever beat me-.” Seto then reduced his voice to no louder than an incoherent mumble, to the live spectators at least, but clear enough for Mikhail to understand.  “-not without _her_ help.”  

“Oh shit.” Mikhail bit down on his teeth, did he just give away their secret? Is their plan going to falter?

“I don’t know how you two managed to hack into my system, but nonetheless.” Seto continued. “I will make sure to grant you a swift defeat, thanks in part to your own unwitting hint, you moron.”

Mikhail panicked slightly, Kaiba must have figured it out!  Now that he was aware of his opponent’s true identity, will Kaiba turn the tide against their future plans of attack? 

“It’s time for me to end this!” Seto announced as he played Monster-Reborn.  The silhouette of a dragon emerged from the graveyard and rematerialized as it joined its two brethren on the playing field.  “And with this card-!” Seto slammed down his card of Polymerization and merged together the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon. “-I call forth, my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

“Not so fast!” Mikhail wagged his fingers as he revealed a facedown trap card, which is set to destroy all dragon monsters on the field with over 4000 attack points.

“Perfect.” Seto’s lips curved into a devious smile, the counter attack occurred just as he had predicted. “You have triggered _my_ trap card, Summoning Tribute! This card allows me to choose any monster that was destroyed by my opponent’s trap card to be used as a special summoning tribute! Now Behold-!” Seto called as the stadium flooded with beams of blinding white light. “-My Blue-Eyes Shinning Dragon!”

 

* * *

 

“Did…Did rich boi just win?” Joey stammered in disbelief as the Shinning Dragon attacked Mikhail with the full force of its plasma blast.  The izakaya halted to a silent standstill as everyone waited with bated breath for the holographical dust to clear.

“Oh no…” Someone sopped with sympathy as Mikhail’s life points plummeted, ultimately hitting zero.

“Yay!! OMG! He won!!”   "What!? That's such bullshit!"   “Kaiba’s the man!”   “Seto! I lurv YeW!!”   "No way!" 

“Ugh, how?” Ana buried her face in her hands as Seto’s crazed fans celebrated proudly around her (intermingled with sprinkles of protests here and there from her brother's legion of supporters).  They were so close, SO CLOSE to winning.  How was Seto able to reverse-uno her trap card? No one’s _that_ good! Why does he always end up beating her at the last second!?

 

"Woooo!!!"

Even louder cheers erupted as Seto raised his fist in the air, boasting of his narrow victory while simultaneously showing off his new duel technology.

 

“Wait, guys! Isn’t this Scholtz’s first time playing duel monsters ever?” Tristan asked suddenly, shouting over the noises.

“Yeah, and?”

“Think about it Duke! A beginner with no preparation time; almost beating Seto Kaiba!  If that doesn’t qualify him as one of the best duelists out there I don’t know what does!”

“Yea. Yeeeaah. You’re right Tristan!!” Joey slammed his fists down on the table with such force it tipped over Bakura’s beer bottle.  “Let’s drink to uh… to Mikhail’s uh…. nah… to Kaiba’s defeat!!” he declared loudly and shoved a drink into Ana’s hands.  “Come on! Celebrate with us! You’re a Mikhail fan aren’t you?”

“She doesn’t speak Japanese Joey!”

“Where did you get that idea Téa? We were just talking earlier!”

"No, YOU were the one rambling to her earlier."

"I wasn't ramblin'! I was tellin' her a story!"

Much like Seto, Ana usually refrained from consuming alcohol at all costs.  But tonight, she conceded.  Hoping the it would drown out the impending misery she will no doubt have to face later, Ana clinked her glass against Joey's and raised it to her lips.  “Libations are on me tonight, drink your hearts out guys.”  She declared and drained her cup of sake with one gulp.

 

* * *

 

“Brilliant Kaiba-boy, absolutely brilliant.” Mikhail smirked as he congratulated sarcastically and clapped along with the applauding audience in mocking admiration.

“What are you so happy about?” Irked by his opponent’s lackadaisical reaction, Seto wasn’t pleased with the way Mikhail is handing his defeat; the idiot should be suffering, not making a mockery out of it. “You lost.” Seto reiterated.

“So?” Mikhail shrugged. The nosy stadium drowned out the two CEOs as they engaged in their private conversation. “I got like 1 hour of rest last night.” Mikhail yawned, casually recounting the hours of intense passion he had last night with the beautiful Nigerian actress he had met only a few days earlier.  “We were having waaay too much fun to sleep."  He smiled at the fond memories. "She's one in a billion that one.  I don't know where she learned it from but she can do this weird thing with her-"

“Shut up.” Seto threatened, interrupting Mikhail's senseless rambling, gripping his duel-disc so tightly that the plastic cracked loudly as it strained from breaking.  "I don't want to hear about it."

“What? Don't act like you've never- Ooooh.” Mikhail’s eyes widened as his last functioning brain cell finally caught up. “Oh My God!! No! I would never! EW!” He exclaimed, waving his hands wildly as he shook off the revolting imagines and the disgusting notion of doing it with his little sister.

“What do you mean Ew?” Seto repeated with incredulity, confused by Mikhail’s repulsed reaction.  

"No no no, I'm not talking about An-, I mean I'm talking about someone else-"

"Then who are you talking about?"

"Some other girl."  Although he is quite open about his sex life, Mikhail had always maintained his lover's anonymity.

"So you're sleeping with other girls behind her back now?"  Seto was fuming, _'This jackass has been cheating.'_

"Who's back?"

"Who do you think moron!?"

“Anyways!” Mikhail ignored Seto’s question, eager to redirect the conversation back on track. “I had no sleep, I’m pretty hungover, and not to mention I learned this game in less than one day. My point is, imagine how quickly I would’ve beaten you if I had actually tried?”  Mikhail echoed Tristan’s words as he fumbled with the lock on his duel disc and slid it off his arms.

“We both know you didn-”

“Yeah yeah I know I didn’t win.” Mikhail interrupted and cautioned Seto with a look of _come-on-dude-I-know-you-want-to-expose-my-fraud-but-are-you-really-gonna-call-Ana-out-in-front-of-the-whole-world-like-that?_

Taking the hint, Seto swallowed his words. “Whatever Scholtz.” Seto grumbled as the platforms descended. "You disgust me."

"And you need to get laid more Kaiba!"

 

 

 

“Where is she?” Seto asked as they retreated away from the crowd.

“Where is who?” Mikhail answered dismissively, glancing at his wristwatch.

“Stop playing games-”

“Kaiba, you literally had me come all the way up here just to play a game.”

“Where is she?”

“Jesus dude! Go find yourself a girlfriend and leave us alone!”

" _Us?_ You cheated on her!"

"No I didn't! Wait, I mean I did, but it's not like that-"

"How the hell did she fall in love with you?"

"Because I'm girthier... oh wait no no no, wrong joke, that came out all wrong. Redo!"

"I think it's about time for me give you that well deserved punch you've earned."

“Mr. Kaiba, the press.” Isono, Seto’s chief of security, alerted as the conversation started to become heated. “One last chance Scholtz.” Seto growled, keeping pace with Mikhail as they turned away from the tsunami of fans and reporters.  “Same to you Kaiba.” Mikhail warned, now stern and serious without any of his previous fumblings, “Isn’t it bad enough that she almost died once already?”

“Have it your way.” Seto halted as MoSAIC’s security team quickly swept Mikhail away towards the space elevator.

 

 

 

“Mokuba!”

“Yes Nii-sama?” Mokuba answered eagerly as he and Seto waited for the onslaught of press media.

“Cue up all attempted security breaches to Kaiba Corp’s system within the last 24 hours.”

“Sure big bro.”

“Run a comprehensive diagnostic scan on Scholtz’s duel disk, see if you can cross reference it to anything related to Rome or Romans.”

“Roman?” Mokuba wasn’t sure if he had heard Seto correctly. “Like Julius Caesar Roman?”

“Exactly.” The stunt pulled by NERO hadn’t gone unnoticed by Seto; it was too much of a coincidence for Kaiba Corp's system to fail the exact moment Mikhail engulfed Seto's coliseum card in flames...and then darn fiddle (of all the other instruments in the world).  And if memory serves him right, Seto was sure Ana had mentioned some Roman sounding name during one of their conversations about artificial intelligence.

“Trace the location once you do-.” Seto straightened himself as he prepared for the unceremonious shoving of camera and microphones into his face.  “-I’m sure we’ll find her there.”


	32. "A New Fantastic Point of View."

“Woooo!”

Mikhail’s group of supporters hooted loudly as Ana emptied her pockets of cash and her brother dumped the contents of his wallet onto the counter.   Eager to take out her anger on the grumbling Kaiba fans, Ana wore the most cynical of smirks she could muster and, along with the flabbergasted waitstaff, bowed with feigned apology as she booted the unwelcome patrons out of the establishment.  With rumors of free libations traveling down the street, in no time, the tiny izakaya was jammed to its maximum capacity as Mikhail’s fans funneled in.   The siblings partied well into the night as they gulped one drink after another, enjoying their time with a crowd of newfound _best friends_.

 _‘_ _♬ A whole new wooooorld.’_  With her vision spinning like socks tumbling in a dryer, Ana stumbled precariously back and forth as she waddled her way out of the restroom, humming broken segments of Disney songs in her head.  With the clock close to striking midnight, Ana partook in the Christmas spirit as she happily dished out hugs and high-fives while making her way back to her seat.  For the first time in a long time, Ana's mind was free of any doubts or worries, even if it's because she's smashed beyond belief.  Skipping though the crowd, Ana lurched forward as she slipped on a pool of spilled alcohol, but was thankfully saved by someone before she faceplanted onto the ground.

Much more apt at handling alcohol than his sister, the relatively sober-ish Mikhail mumbled with gratitude as Joey passed him his slumping sister. “Yeh no problem, I have a little sista too, her name is Ser-ren-nity.”

Annoyed at her lack of motor skill control, Ana sipped sloppily on some water as the two men bonded chattily beside her, having the time of their lives bitching about little sister problems. 

“-honestly, now dat I think abou-it, she even looks like my little sista!” A splash of water sloshed from her cup onto her designer dress as Joey playfully draped an arm over Ana’s shoulders and tussled her hair.  “Yeah, except Ana can be really annoying sometimes.” Mikhail complimented Joey’s sister for her namesake as he jokingly pinched at his own sister’s already reddened cheeks.

“Nah man, you have a pretty cool sista. Hey...isn’t that….. Oi! Koi-bah!”

Ana chuckled at Joey's ridiculous shout. “What is an _oi-koi-bah_? Whoa!”  Ana fumbled forward as her two flanking support pillars shot out of their seats at lightning speed.  “Yo!” Joey cautioned and tipped Ana back in place while Mikhail stumbled to positioned himself between his sister and the uninvited visitor.

“Wha-ta-ya doing hea rich boi?!” Joey demanded as he braced against Ana, grabbing onto her shoulders as he struggled to prop himself up. “Can’t you see this is an anti-Kaiba establishment?”

“Fuck off monkey boy, I’m in no mood for this.”  Seto said, bereft of his usual patience for Wheeler’s bullshit, fuming at the scene he had just witnessed; two asinine idiots fawning over his Ana. 

“I said, what’s an _oi-koi-bah_?”  In-spite of his anger, Seto's lips curved into a small smile as Ana repeated cluelessly, lacking any situational awareness.  “Answer me or I’ll smack you in the tubby.” Despite Ana willful involvement in her current predicament, Seto still found those little nuances of her tenacious personality quite endearing.  Surveying the two drunks before him, Seto scoffed as he crossed his arms; of-course everyone flocks to Ana, for if he, the great Seto Kaiba, couldn’t resist her, then who could?  However, Seto’s moment of amusement was cut short as Joey leaned in hard against Ana, forcing her to leverage against the barstool beside her while extending her other hand to steady Joey’s swaying.  

“Remove your hand this instant before I snap it off Wheeler.”  Seto ordered darkly, positively livid that a loser like him could cozy up to her so freely while he himself could only watch.  However, in reality, what really had Seto bothered was Ana’s lack of protest against their advances.  How could she do this to him?  Being all friendly with Joey freak Wheeler while she diligently dodged his every attempt to contact her.

Sensing the growing unease, Mikhail shot Kaiba a stern warning but failed to convince him and his squad of security guards to depart peacefully. 

“Come on sweetie, we need to leave.” Trying not to startle his sister, Mikhail called out gently as he patted Ana lightly on her cheeks.

“Wh..why?”

“Just listen to me.”

Heeding Mikhail’s words with no further protests or questioning, Ana opened her eyes sluggishly and felt around for her jacket, oblivious to Seto’s presence.  “Just take mine.” Unwilling to waste any more time, Mikhail hastily removed his jacket and draped it over her body.

“ _We_ aren’t going anywhere.” Seething with jealousy, Seto growled as his men slowly encroached upon the trio with guns at the ready.  

“Listen closely you two.” The advancing task force stopped as Seto held a hand for them to pause. “I’ll only say this once.  Get the hell away from her and get the hell out of my sight." The men took their aim and waited for their boss’s signal.  "Or else." Seto warned ominously as he threatened to shower a hailstorm of bullets onto the two defenseless targets. 

“Abdul…Abdul! Shawn!” Mikhail extended an arm and waved for his non-existent bodyguards.  “Shit.” Mikhail cursed under his breath as Seto stepped aside for him to see the incapacitated bodies of his personal bodyguards.  Not that it mattered; they were severely outnumbered to begin with.  Having dismissed the bulk of his security team to break early for Christmas, Mikhail did not anticipate the dire need for protection from an archnemesis who's willing to kill him over a confrontation; the thanks he gets for trying to be a kind boss to his employees.

Pressing a discrete panic button on his watch, Mikhail stalled as he waited for his men to respond, knowing it may take a while because, well, it’s freaking Christmas.  “What more do you want now Kaiba?  You won the duel, you humiliated me in front of millions, used my image as advertisement, and now have ruined my Christmas.”  Mikhail feigned ignorance knowing the exact reason for Seto’s intrusion.

“Screw the duel.” Seto snapped, watching Mikhail instinctively protect the inebriated Ana as he wrapped an arm around her and held her close to him. “That whole thing was nothing but a ruse; did you really think I would ever consider you worthy of my time?  Having to force myself to pretend you were even a challenge was nothing short of painful.”

“What ruse?” Mikhail asked sharply, ignoring Seto’s tirade of insults.  “Explain this, Scholtz.” With his reflexes less agile than usual, Mikhail fumbled as Seto tossed him a lighter-sized silver gadget.  As soon as the gadget reached his hands, Mikhail heard a faint beep as a holographic red hue materialized on the display screen. 

[“Well howdy Mikhail? Holding up well?”]

Hearing NERO’s peevishly gleeful voice caused Mikhail to buckle his legs out of shock and tumbled towards ground.

“How did you even-? Ana, careful!” Mikhail hastily pulled at Ana as she slipped out of his hold.  Regaining his composure as he tucked his sister securely back into his arms. “You are one clever bastard _Koi-Bah_.”  

Hearing snippets of the argument and the mention of _koi-bah_ again, Ana narrowed her eyes and squinted towards the direction where a tall imposing figure presided, presuming that was the source of her brother’s ire.  

“Indeed I am.” Seto chuckled at the backhanded compliment, relishing in Mikhail’s flabbergasted response. “Besides.” He continued, inciting Mikhail’s wrath further by taking a long deliberate glance at Ana.  “You know exactly what I want.”

“And what is it that you want?” Mikhail shifted Ana away towards the back; answering his own question in the process.

“To claim what’s rightfully mine.”

“Shut the hell up you entitled jackass!” Ana was jerked forward as Mikhail shoved Seto with his free hand.  “What’s going on?” She asked innocently, straining to listen against her impaired hearing.  Ignoring his sister, Mikhail pointed a shaky finger in Seto’s face as he shouted.  “You need to show some respect Kaiba, Ana is a human being, not some barbie doll for you to _claim_ and play with!”

“Oh really?”  The corner of Seto’s lips curved in mocking grin.  “That’s very bold, coming from someone who’s famous for toying with women.”

Mikhail’s face flushed with rage at Seto’s harsh, albeit truthful, accusation.  “We’re playing this game then?  Fine, ok, what about all the girls _you’ve_ slept with huh?” Mikhail retorted, rapidly losing a hold of his temper.  “Just because you hide your one-night stands from the public doesn’t mean you’re any better than me.” And he’ll be damned if Ana became another notch on Kaiba’s belt.  

“Hey…don’t… angry.” Ana sputtered incoherently as she pressed a palm gently against Mikhail’s heaving chest.  She gazed up at her brother as she attempted to calm his fury before casting a frown at the looming intruder who watched their affectionate exchange with bitter resentment.  The cracking of knuckles sounded as Seto’s clinched his fist, causing his men to look at each other with uncertainty.  Taking a deep breath, Seto reassured his men with a wave and questioned pejoratively.

“Slept with who? Praytell.”

Without missing a beat, Mikhail listed, omitting the direct mention of any names. “That Persian actress from that one movie, that pink haired girl from that Kpop group, and that Norwegian model and-”

“That’s enough.”

“Oh, and don’t even get me started on how you treat them once you’re done using them.” After unwittingly sharing several partners with Seto (only to find out after the deed is done or else he would never have even considered it to begin with), the amount of secondhand horror stories Mikhail’s heard about the man could fill a 10-inch binder.  “Unlike you, I would never kick a girl out at 2:00 in the morning in the middle of a snowstorm after coercing her to sleep with me.”  Except Mikhail was wrong in his assumption that it was Seto who was the one at fault, unaware that Seto rarely, if ever, was the one to initiate any sort of intimacy.  If only Mikhail knew how much Seto treasured Ana.

Being called out on his hypocrisy, Seto seethed; although his sexual exploits are not nearly as numerous or outrageous as Mikhail’s, he still didn’t appreciate having his personal business aired out so openly. 

“And what about Alena?”  Mikhail added as one last insult.

Ana stiffened at the mention of her name.  

“What about her?” Seto asked, equally unamused. But before Mikhail could launch off, Seto interjected, wanting to hear nothing about the Russian Princess in actuality.  

“At least I don’t cheat on my girlfriends.”  Seto reaffirmed.  One, because he wasn’t about to let this lousy whore of a man get away with shaming him in front of everyone; and two, the thought of Mikhail plowing that _one-in-a-billion_ girl behind Ana’s back sickened him.  

Taking this opportunity to incense Kaiba even further, Mikhail spun Ana to face him and pulled her tightly into his chest.  Stroking her hair as he sneered at the fuming man before him, Mikhail gave his sister a long, deliberate peck on the cheek. 

“At least I have one Kaiba.”


	33. Koi-Bah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♬  
> I don't want a lot for Christmas  
> But please consider as you read, and I  
> would like to see your comments  
> Underneath my Chapter (thirty)three,  
> I don’t wanna stop my writing  
> but I'm beginning to go cray,  
> I will try to make you happy  
> With a story on Christmas day,  
> Thank you Archive of our Own  
> More than you could ever know,  
> Make my wish come true oh  
> Seto all I want for Christmas is yoooooooou.

“At least I have one Kaiba.”

“Not for long, not when I'm done with her tonight.”” Having secured Mikhail’s undivided attention, Seto made a sweeping motion to his armored guards with a wave of his hand behind his back.  The wooden floors of the old restaurant groaned and creaked loudly as Seto’s men rushed forward and forcefully sequestered the siblings from one another.  Mikhail fought with futility as a pair of men the size of linebackers tackled him to the ground.   

“Ana! Ru-”

“Gag him.”

A swift punch to the stomach promptly stifled Mikhail’s warning, knocking the air out of his lungs.  He kicked and struggled against his restraints in frustration as the men pinned him to the ground and tied his hands behind his back.  A piece of duct tape was slapped onto his mouth as he attempted a second warning, in no time, Mikhail’s muffled screaming faded away as the men quickly hauled him away from the scene.

Joey thought he had seen it all, being Seto’s favorite subject of ridicule for many years.  But after witnessing Mikhail’s apparent demise, even he was surprised by the severity of his Seto’s reckless ire.  This level of homicidal rage was so unlike the eternally callous and aloof Kaiba he was used to seeing (unless it concerned his company or his little brother of course).  Unwilling to risk his luck against Kaiba’s obviously dwindling patience, Joey escaped behind a pile of chairs and overturned tables as he barricaded himself in a secluded corner.  Relieved to find his rival’s attention fixated on someone else, Joey watched with frightened curiosity as the rest of Seto’s men swarmed the building and ejected any remaining patrons outside. 

Alarmed by the sudden disappearance of her brother, Ana, although lacking in sobriety, scanned frantically around the room.  A wave of nausea washed over her as flashed lights shined into her eyes from all directions, distorting her already impaired vision and sense of equilibrium.  Despite her temporary blindness and the unmistakable sound of guns cocking around her, Ana persisted in her search for Mikhail until a wall of advancing gunmen obstructed her vision entirely.  With her eyes sore from the straining, Ana rested her lids momentarily as she balanced precariously over her barstool.

“The place is secured sir.”

Startled by the familiarity of the gruffy voice, Ana pressed her palm into her eyes in hopes to expedite it’s recovery.  But before she could confirm his identity, Her eyes opened to a sea of black and blue uniforms parting aside as the faint outline of a towering figure made his way closer. 

With the imposing stranger now towering above her, Ana braced her hands against her thighs as her vision swam in and out of focus.  Craning her head upwards to brave a closer look, Ana gasped as the details of the stranger’s fetching features sharpened.  Lurching back, Ana banged her spine against the stone carved counter as she cried out in shock.

“Koi-bah!”  Not sure if she should hug and strangle the man, Ana pointed a shaky finger at Seto as she braced herself once more against her legs; the sharp pain in her back and the momentum of her sudden movement exacerbated her dizziness. 

“It’s Kaiba not _Koi-bah_.”

Seto scoffed as he mimicked Ana in a teasing fashion, mocking the overdramatic way she had scorned him for mispronouncing her name.  Encouraged by her lack of protest, (good, because he knew he wouldn’t have handled her rejection lightly) Seto braced his hands against the counter and encroached forward, entombing her between him and a solid slab of granite.  The statuesque Ana sat frozen to her seat as the towering physical manifestation of Lucifer leaned into her face.  Ana’s languor, brought about by the pair of sapphire blue eyes, had her so utterly mesmerized, her mind voided itself of all thoughts and reasons as she fluttered about in her mental purgatory  that’s a cross between the realms of dreamland and reality.

*Thump Thump*

A series of loud thumping noises emanated from the nearest wall awoke Ana from her drunken daze.  Curious, she withdrew her eyes from Seto To try and locate the source of the sound.  Surmising that it must be from the opposite side of the wall, Ana wondered why anyone would be pounding on a building so violently in the middle of the night. 

“Tell him to quiet down or I’ll put a bullet in his head.”

Upon hearing Seto’s ominous warning, Ana accidentally brushed the tip of her nose against his chin as she returned to face him.  Suddenly aware of their proximity, a streak of pink flushed across her cheeks as she raised a hand to her chest to pacified her racing heart.  Ana, on the verge of fainting from her labored panting, leaned away from Seto as much as she could and tossed her hair back to give herself some air; unwittingly perfuming the same air with the sweet fragrance of her signature scent.   

 

* * *

 

Despite his misgivings about Ana’s willful involvement in this unpleasant situation and having suffered her absence for weeks, Seto, like a starved addict tempted by his favorite drug, could bear it no longer as the intoxicating smell of citrus and gardenia filled his the air.  Slinking an arm around her waist, Seto lifted Ana out of the chair and tucked her tightly into his yearning embrace. The shuffling of boots scarped against the floor as the security team hastily retreated to make room for the pair, bumping awkwardly against one another as they gawked, with fascination, at their usually stoic boss’s display of sentimentality.

Expecting some sort of reaction as he buried her face deeper into his heaving chest, Seto was alarmed by Ana’s unresponsiveness.  Supporting the full weight of her body in his arms, Seto tilted his head back to see a vacant expression plastered over Ana's face, her arms dangling limply by her side.  Hoping the temporary muteness was just a byproduct of her shock at his sudden appearance, Seto pressed an icy palm against Ana’s forehead and brushed her bangs back gently as he examined her face.  Biting the inside of his cheeks to stifle a chuckle, Seto watched with amusement as Ana’s puppyish eyes beheld his own with childlike transfixion.  Her dilating pupils peeked out behind a curtain of eyelashes as she blinked slowly, endearing him even more with her unintended adorableness.

 

“Tell me.” Seto smirked as he whispered into her ears. “What’s Plank’s constant?”

“The defa-ni-tion? Or the numba?” 

The smoldering fire of his dulled senses reignited as Ana replied with a semi-intelligible gurgle.  Even in her semi-conscious state, Ana still managed to expel whatever anti-arousal ailment that demoness Sheeri had plagued him by simply answering to one of the least romantic questions he could ever ask a girl

 _‘Good enough.’_ Seto chuckled to himself as the inebriated Ana recounted the numbers of the constant with oddly perfect memory. 

 

“Let’s go Roland. Isono, prepare the car.” Seto's celebration was short-lived as Ana suddenly stopped her counting and fell forward, nearly slipping out of his hold. 

The immediate area around the restaurant was cleared of onlookers as pair were ushered out into the street.  Slipping in and out of consciousness, Ana fumbled in the snow as she struggled to keep pace.  Ignoring her garbled protests, Seto placed a hand beneath her legs and swept Ana into the air as he carried her, princess style, to the car.  After managing only a few steps forward, Seto nearly lost his footing as someone jerked him back by the collar.

“My. Ana.”   

Mikhail, after a miraculous escape that would've made Houdini proud, pried weakly at Seto’s arms.  Releasing Ana with reluctance to stave off his attacker, Seto berated his staff members as the deranged Russian struggled to set his sister free. 

“You had one job!” Seto barked at his medical team.

“I’m sorry Mr. Kaiba! We pumped him full of tranquilizers like you ordered but…!” The head of medical staff trailed off, wondering to himself how the sleep deprived, intoxicated, and now tranquilized young man as even alive at this point.

“Misha!!”

Thrilled at the sight of her brother, Ana shouted with glee as she snapped out of her drunken stupor.

“Misha?” The familiarity of the term distracted Seto so utterly that Ana was able to jolt herself free from his hold. 

“Get back here now!”

Ignoring Seto, Ana stumbled forward and collided into her brother as her heels slipped on a patch of ice.  “Mikhail!” “Ooof, Ana, careful.”  Mikhail griped with pain as they crashed onto the snow.  He awkwardly patted her on the back as he tore at the remnants of the severed cable ties still bound to his swollen wrists.

At loath to suffer a repeat of the incident that occurred at Krevchanko’s manor, to say that Seto was incensed by Ana’s once again enthusiastic response to Mikhail appearance was a gross understatement.

“Oh no you don’t!” Snow flew off the ground as Mikhail threw off Ana and scrambled to his feet.  “Where the hell are my bodyguards?” Mikhail, smacking his watch repeatedly, scanned in desperation for his men, unaware that Seto had gone all sorts of extra and jammed all incoming and outgoing signals within the immediate vicinity.

Clinching down on her teeth, Ana seethed as the oncoming Seto badgered her defenseless brother with a tirade of verbal abuses. She knew his recapture was imminent as armed men encircled them quickly, leaving no room to escape.  Seto will not get away with this; he will not get away with insulting her brother, whose only crime was her protection and safety.

Failing to consider the fatal repercussions of her decision, Ana, now delirious with anger, was desperate for some payback.

Leveraged against her brother’s outstretched hand as Ana swiftly picked herself off the ground.

“Whoa!” Mikhail’s arms flailed about wildly as his sister grabbed onto his shoulders and spun him around to face her. 

Twirling her fingers seductively as she wound a hand around Mikhail's wrinkled tie, Ana looked Seto dead in the eye as she simpered breathlessly in the sultriest voice she could muster.

“Miiiikhaaail.”

“What are you-.”  Mikhail questioned as he stared aghast, terrified of his sister's untoward advances. 

“Заткнись (shut up).” Ana cut him off with a hissed under her breath.  

Snaking her other hand around his neck, Ana forced Mikhail to lean in as she pressed her palm firmly against his back.  Casting one last smirk in Seto's direction, Ana returned to her brother’s horrified face.

An audible gasp rang from the crowd as she bent forward and planted an unsuspecting kiss on her brother’s mouth.  No sooner had their lips touched, Mikhail tugged like a maniac at Ana’s arms, desperate to pull her away.  With one hand grasping firmly at the base of his skull, Ana steadied Mikhail’s quivering jaw as she pressed their mouths closer.  Cradling his throat with her other hand, Ana silenced her brother’s protests as she applied some substantial pressure onto his trachea.  After what she deemed to be the acceptable duration of a kiss between siblings before crossing the line of incestuousness, Ana loosened her death grip and released her brother with a final loud smack on his lips.

Ana gloated with drunken glee as Seto unraveled before her. The spitefulness of her smile mocked his grimly pale visage as Ana relished in her triumphant success: that’s what he gets for bullying her big brother; and that’s what he gets for condemning her to Alena’s endless bullying.

“His. Ana.”  She pointed at her spazzing brother as he wiped his mouth with fiendish ferocity, paying her no attention as he preoccupied himself with deep-decontamination.  

“Pfff, chi-chill, alcohol kills 99.9%... of… all living things bruh.” Ana, dizzy again from overexertion, articulated sloppily as she rolled her eyes; there was definitely enough rum in her piña colada to sterilize a whole village. 

Slipping on the same ice patch from earlier, Ana staggered backwards and fell into a bewildered Joey who had been caught up in the show by accident.  Holding back her retching, Ana fumbled as he swung her around, the wooziness from being turned so quickly only exacerbated her nausea. “Did ya just kiss ya br-” Joey’s bumbling inquiry was abruptly silenced as a punch landed across his face.

Inhaling sharply, Ana cried out in shock as Seto yanked her aside and slammed her against the frozen wall of the izakaya.  The forceful momentum of his movement shook the wooden frame violently, causing clumps of snow to smatter off the awning, falling onto them below. 

Shaking with trepidation, Ana recoiled as Seto placed an ice-cold finger underneath her chin and tilted her face upwards.  Droplets of melted ice dripped from the tip of his bangs onto her cheeks as Seto bent lower onto his target and hovered just above Ana's head.   Watching helplessly as he enveloped her in the darkness of his wrathful aura, Ana could barely resist as he pinned her wrists firmly beneath his hands.  Being forced to witness the egregious act so willfully initiated by her on the man he absolutely despised, the trembling timbre of Seto’s voice betrayed his barely maintained icy veneer as he hissed into Ana’s ears.

“You’re going to regret that Nikolaev.”

Despite her direness of her current situation, a tingling numbness shot down Ana’s spine as the warmth of Seto’s whisper brushed against the base of her jawline.  Biting her tongue to suppress an involuntary moan, Ana shuddered as Seto continued to breath down her neck, his lips lingering merely millimeters from the icy skin of her exposed collarbone. 

 _‘What the hell just happened?!’_  

Blushing scarlet, Ana was mortified by the unwarranted licentiousness of her reaction.  Wholly focused now on not repeating the same mistake, Ana heard not a single word of Seto’s next set of questions as she averted her captor’s unrelenting glare,

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Ana flinched as Seto, barely able to restrain himself, shoved against her hands; her eyes darted frantically around in search of his while his deafening roar echoed in her ears.

“Answer me!”

More snow fell on their heads as the wooden frame of the building rebounded against Seto’s aggressive shove.  Having never even caught his questions to begin with, Ana was at a complete loss for words.  Frightened by the intensity of his anger and her lack of situational awareness, Ana was too afraid to ask for a repeat of his questions but answered with a small whimper instead.

Wincing, Ana’s eyes welled with tears as Seto’s already steely grip tightened even further; his fingers boring into the still healing stitches in her wrists.  Unable to withstand the excruciating pain from the force of his hold any longer, Ana scrunched her face in defiance against crying out in agony.  

Seeing Ana's delicate features contorting in pain, Seto snapped out of his rage, loosened his grip, and staggered backwards; reviled by his own misdeed.

How could he have done this?    
  
In an instant, regret ripped into Seto’s conscience like a thousand knives carving  slowly at him.  His hands trembled with anger as specks of ruby red blood seeped through the thin cloth of Ana’s sleeves.

Closing his eyes, Seto took a deep inhale as a tsunami of guilt crashed over him.  “I-” He paused, unable to compose an apology strong enough to express his remorse for causing her affliction. 

Seto slammed his fist against wall in frustration, cursing at his lack of self-control.

 

“It’s ok…”

His eyes shot open as a tiny, almost inaudible voice consoled.

Although had he had been quite rude to Ana thus far, evident in the unsolicited shouts and shoves, but beyond just pure intimidation, Ana had no reason to suspect his intentions otherwise. Despite having reservations about some of his other more spiteful reactions, like those against her brother, Ana was doubtful whether Seto was capable of going to such extent as to actually cause her bodily harm.  Knowing Seto must be internally writhing with self-blame, Ana didn't want to prolong his suffering any longer.  She reasoned that the man is just more apt at expressing his anger than affection that's all. 

“It’s ok.” Ana repeated as she gazed up with sympathetic eyes.  “I…I know you didn’t mean it.” 

Mouth ajar, Seto stared in disbelief as Ana rubbed gingerly at her wrists. 

How the hell is he suppose to react to this?  How the hell is anyone suppose to react to this!?  

The sound of ice sloshing across the pavement as Mikhail zig-zagged towards them brought Seto back to reality.  Impatient to punish Kaiba for what he just did, Mikhail bent over and picked up what he presumed to be a baseball sized rock and launched it in Seto’s general direction.  To his horror, the projectile landed precariously close to Ana, just inches from her face, exploding into a powdery mess upon impact.  Relieved he had mistakenly hurled a chunk of densely packed snow and not a rock instead, Mikhail failed to hear his sister’s warning as she tried to alert him of an ambush from behind.

“Behind you Misha! Mik-”

A silence fell over the world as Seto crushed his lips onto Ana's and devoured her with the insatiable appetite of a starved beast feasting on his still-kicking prey.  He's sick of it; sick of hearing about the damn brute over and over again; sick of not having Ana's undivided attention; sick of having her precious lips sullied by the name of another man.  Ana's struggles did nothing to faze Seto's desire to possess her as he cradled her face with one hand while the other gripped tightly at her waist.  Prying her lips open with his, Seto grazed the tip of his tongue against Ana's as he pressed their bodies even closer.  Savoring her taste, which is more delicious than he could've ever imagined, Seto relinquished his self-control to the ravenous hunger that had been gnawing at him since their last unfortunate encounter. 

Refusing to let go even as she struggled to breathe, Seto held Ana’s lips hostage until he was certain there was no more air left in her lungs to protest.

 

"I never want to hear you say his name aga-"

Ana, after taking a huge gulp of air, silenced Seto in the same manner as he did her.  She snatched him by the collar and yanked him down until their lips had collided once more.  The spontaneity of Ana's action stirred Seto into an absolute frenzy as she earnestly returned his kiss with fervent ferocity.  Pulling her even closer, Seto bit down on her lips in frustration as he resisted the urge to explore every inch of her thinly covered body.  Unable to indulge in his desire, Seto pinned Ana against the wall as she moaned softly into his mouth; no one, absolutely no one, will be allowed to experience the ecstasy that is her soul and body but him. 

Begrudgingly breaking their kiss as Ana gasped desperately for air, Seto watched with trepidation as Ana teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.  Having expended all of her strength on the make out session of a life time, Ana finally gave into exhaustion and blacked out in Seto's arms.

 

* * *

 

Throwing off his captors and injuring himself in the process, Mikhail, furious over Kaiba's deplorable behavior, sprinted towards his unconscious sister as he eyed Seto with murderous animosity.  Despite his freshly acquired injury, Mikhail hurled a punch rivaled that of a champion boxer that would’ve knocked his target clean to the ground if he wasn’t stopped by a slew of well armored men. 

“No one does that to my sister and gets away with it. No one!” Forgetting the boyfriend charade he had so carefully cultivated for the past few weeks, Mikhail regarded Seto with grim hostility. “Mark my words, Kaiba.” Gnashing his teeth, Mikhail warned as he thrashed against the guards holding him back. “I will fucking skin you alive for that.”

 

"What?!”

Taken aback by the shocking revelation, Seto startled as if Mikhail’s blow had actually reached its intended target and accidentally released Ana from his hold.  With the pillow like snow softening her fall, Ana slipped onto the ground as both her brother and Seto scrambled to retrieve her unconscious body.

But before he took the first step, Mikhail, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, collapsed suddenly onto the ground.  Having exhausted every ounce of strength in his body, he could only lay still, panting in the snow, as Kaiba carried away his sister while the medical staff rushed to revive him.  Unable to delay the inevitable any longer, Mikhail gave into the darkness as the tranquilizers finally took hold.

 


	34. We Swearest on The Precious

Holiday celebrations were never a huge affair at the Kaiba Mansion and this year was no exception. But as the staff members at Kaiba Manor shuffled around silently while going about their usual daily duties, a sense of excitement could be felt in the air.  The unexpected arrival of two guests on Christmas Eve was a welcome departure from the usual routine, giving them something to conjecture and gossip about.

Marlina was having none of it though.  As Kaiba Manor’s head maid for the past 15 years, she had immense pride in her work.  The hushed whispers and giggles echoed annoyingly in her ears as she scolded one staff after another for neglecting their duties.  Gently pushing open the door to the breakfast room, Marlina poked her head in and asked “Anybody need anything? More orange juice?” Her question was met with silence as the three disheveled looking people continued to slump around the table in silence.  Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Marlina glanced behind to see young Mokuba shaking his head at her as he pressed a finger to his lips.  “It’s been almost half an hour and they still haven’t touched their food!” Marlina said indignantly as Mokuba dragged her away from the door. “It’s nearly lunch time!  They need to eat-”

“Ssssh, just let them be.” Mokuba whispered as he re-latched the door, quieting Marlina with a pleading look.

 

* * *

 

The glittery lights and colorful ornaments the staff had so carefully arranged around the Mansion did nothing to incite any holiday spirit in the three tired youngsters. 

*DING*

Groaning in her head, Ana winced as the loud chiming of the grandfather clock forcibly broke the nice calming silence.   Mikhail too, stirred in his seat as he pressed the rapidly melting icepack harder against his forehead, obviously agitated by the sudden earsplitting noise as well.  Seto on the other hand, remained motionless despite the intensifying pain on his temple.  A practical joke from Saint Nick, gifting the three of them with some of the worst pains of their lives on what was suppose to be the most joyful day of the year.

Tired of their silence, Ana reached forward for the tall glass of orange juice that Marlina had been so insistent on replenishing and slowly downed the entire glass.  _‘What the hell happened?’_ she wondered as she glanced around the table, even the quiet thud from her empty glass hitting the tabletop caused Mikhail to shift uncomfortably.  As if having the hangover of a lifetime isn’t enough, Ana remembers nothing of the night before.  _‘This is why you shouldn’t drink, you idiot.’_ Ana scolded herself as she picked up a soft linen cloth.  “Here.”  She offered it to her brother as the icepack begin dripping from his hands.  Finding herself in silence once more as Mikhail accepted her offer without a word, Ana turned her attention to the head of the table instead.  Even in the casual setting of Seto’s breakfast room on Christmas morning, the sharply dressed young CEO sat straight backed at the head of the table, arms crossed with both of his feet planted firmly on the ground.

“Ok, can someone explain to me what happened last night?”  Ana asked, unable to hold it back any longer.  The two men merely stared on as Ana looked back and forth between them, giving her nothing but their weary expressions.  “Did I kill someone last night?” Ana asked jokingly but tensed up as the two guys continued to stare at her in silence. 

“I almost did.”  Mikhail finally croaked, barely able to speak as the hoarseness of his voice overpowered his words.  “He practically did.”  Clearing his throat, Mikhail tiled his head towards Seto as he repositioned the icepack to nurse his bruised jaw.

“No need to thank me.”  Seto huffed, though his tone was more lighthearted than malicious. 

“For what?” Mikhail asked incredulously as Seto sniggered at his own joke.

“For sparing your life last night.”

“Ok then, _YOU’RE_ welcome.” Mikhail returned the gesture as he raised his other hand. “For my generosity this morning.” He tapped his fingers lightly at his temple, reminding Seto of the punch he had managed to land on him this morning.

“Weak.” Seto smirked.  Indeed, it was a feebly attempt at redemption from a groggy Mikhail as he hurled a fist at an unsuspecting Seto when they ran into each other in the hallway.  “Nice form though, for someone like you.” Seto nodded with a sneer as he relaxed slightly and leaned into his chair. "Don't forget I almost blocked it."

“Yeah, only a freak like you could react so fast...”  Mikhail trailed off as he dropped the now completely melted icepack on an empty plate.

Mouth agape, Ana looked on speechlessly as the mood visibly lightened in the room.

 _‘_ _Are…are they complimenting each other right now?!’_   Was a few backhanded compliments and a punch to each other’s face all that was necessary to make up for the years of animosity they had between them?  What the hell?

 _‘_ _Is this a ‘guy’ thing?’_ Ana shook her head exasperatedly as the two men cracked a bro-ish sneer at each other. _'Just what the fuck happened last night?'._

“So we’re even?” Seto asked as Mikhail casually reached forward for the food.  “With me? Yes.”  Mikhail nodded as he placed a nice big fluffy pancake on Ana’s plate before putting one on his own.  “But you better make it up to her.”  The lighthearted mood momentarily darkened as Mikhail flashed a look of warning at Seto; apologizing to Ana is nothing to joke about.

“Naturally.” Seto agreed as he watched Mikhail offer syrup to Ana as she continued to pester him with questions. 

“Chill! You want syrup or not?” A quiet chuckle escaped Seto’s lips as he watched Ana ignore Mikhail’s offer of syrup and smacked him hard on the shoulder.

“Answer my question first!” Ana huffed and lunged for the syrup bottle as Mikhail flung it out of her way.  “Ouch ouch! Ok! We almost killed each other! That’s all!” The bottle of syrup nearly tipped over as Mikhail slammed on the table Ana.  “Stop poking my bruise!”  Mikhail shouted as he rubbed the side of his ribs. 

Not knowing the extent of Mikhail’s injuries, Ana cast a suspicious glance at Seto as she quickly apologized for unintentionally hurting her brother.  If the two ended up scrapping, how come her brother ended up so battered while Seto came out so pristine?  What the hell did Seto do exactly that almost cost Mikhail his life?  Why are they at HIS house right now?  How did Seto find them in the first place?  Why are they avoiding her questions?

In truth, Mikhail felt horrible for failing to protect her last night.  How was he going to explain how he watched helplessly from the sidelines as Kaiba forced himself on Ana like some kind of hungry animal?  Besides, like hell he’s going to talk about how his sister had drunkenly kissed him on the lips while practically strangling him with his tie.

 _'Especially not in front of Kaiba at the damn breakfast table on Jesus's birthday.'_ Mikhail grimaced at the thought.  _‘What a mess.’_ He sighed to himself as he tucked into the syrup drenched pancakes.

 

“Ok, fine. Then _you_ tell me.” Seeing how Mikhail was determined to play dumb, Ana turned her attention to Seto. 

“Yeah, tell her what happened _Seto_.”  Mikhail taunted jokingly with a mouth full of pancakes.  “Don’t lie to her now Kaiba-boy.” A mischievous smirked flashed across his face as he egged his sister on. 

 

Although he would never admit it, Seto was thoroughly embarrassed by his own actions last night.  Just what the hell had possessed him for him to do what he did?  What’s even mortifying is that he had done it in front of the whole security team, the girl’s brother, and even Joey Wheeler for Christ’s sake. 

“Hm.” Seto mumbled as he stalled.

“How did you end up at the izakaya last night?”  Ana asked.

“No, the more important questions is _why_ did he end up at the izakaya last night.”

“Shut up Scholtz, you’re not helping.”

“ _A u contraire_, I’m trying to help you out my man.”

Despite his personal reservations about Seto, Mikhail looked at Ana as he begrudgingly acknowledged the obvious affection the two have for each other.  Ana had never objected to any of his relationships, except ones like Alena’s where it was obviously going to end horribly; Mikhail wasn’t about to forcefully subject her to his opinions at this time.  

“Why?”  Ana followed her brother's lead as she eyed them suspiciously.

A small creak echoed around the room as Seto leaned forward in his chair. What can he say to her? _‘Dammit Scholtz, why are you making me do this?’_   

 

 _'My god, I know it's awkward with me sitting here but at least say hi to her or something.'_ Mikhail paused his chewing, watching Seto struggle to speak was nothing short of painful.  _'Is he being shy or something? '_ Remembering how forceful and confident Seto was just the night before, never in a million years would Mikhail have guessed that the great Seto Kaiba would get so tongue-tied around a girl.  _'Was he on drugs last night?'_   Unable to stomach it any longer, Mikhail groaned as he dropped his fork on his plate and decided to lend a helping hand. 

"Hey Ana." He said loudly, turning to his sister. "You remember Paul right?  From high school?"

"Yeah?" Ana furrowed her brows at the sudden change of subject. "What about it?" 

"He's throwing a New Years Eve party at the Grand Plaza Hotel and he said he would _really_ like to see you again." 

Mikhail smirked as Seto tensed in his periphery. 

"Uh ok, cool." Ana answered absentmindedly with no intentions of actually going. "Why-"

"Alex is going too by the way." He interrupted loudly.  "Wanna be his date again?"

“Scholtz!" Seto snapped, causing Ana to jump in her seat. "Can you leave us?”  Seto added politely as he gestured towards the door, though his eyes look thoroughly irritated.

 _"Oh my god, finally"_.  Mikhail rolled his eyes and mouth silently to himself. _'_

"You know, if you were this polite all the time people would like you better.”  Mikhail scoffed as he picked up his plate of unfinished food.  “Don’t screw it up dude.” He patted Seto on the shoulder as he winked at his sister.  “And don’t forget to apologize.”  Mikhail added sternly as he made his way to the door.  As much as he hated being ordered around by his rival, Seto decided not to retaliate.  As a big brother himself, if someone had done what he did to Mokuba he’d probably break his fists on them.

"Aaaye! You're Mokuba right? Oh sweet is that Dark Souls 3 you're playing? Have you fought that asshole knight yet?" Mikhail's voice trailed off as he shut the door behind him.

Uncrossing his arms, Seto shook his head. “You two are definitely related.” 

“You know, I thought of the same thing when Mokuba got all bossy on me on my first day at Kaiba Corp.”

“How else do you expect a boss to behave?  Are the bosses at _MOSAIC_ all pricks then?” Seto scoffed as he looked over at the door, Mikhail and Mokuba's shouts bared muffled by the thin glass panels.

Ana smiled to herself, it had been so long since they had spoken to each other. She had no idea how much she missed him, even if their reunion had just been just petty bantering thus far.

“Only if you’re the CEO.  You should know, it’s the standard at Kaiba Corp.”

Ana bit her lips and stifled her chuckle as Seto silenced his own, still feeling an awkwardness between them.

 

“So you found out.” Ana sighed as she returned to the subject at hand. _‘Mikhail finally gave up on this whole ‘boy-friend’ thing huh?’_.  Shaking her head, Ana lowered her voice as she started apologizing for the mess they’d landed themselves in. “Listen, I’m sorry that-.”

“No.” Ana halted as Seto interrupted firmly. “You’re the one who is owed an apology.”

Surprised by his sudden admission of guilt, Ana watched as she Seto’s stern posture dissolved into uncomfortable fidgeting.   

“It was wrong of me to…” Seto trailed off as he struggles to find the right words.  "I..."  _‘Just say sorry! How hard can it be?’_ Seto clinched fists underneath the table as he mentally kicked himself.  “I shouldn’t have…” Stopping mid sentence, Seto bit down on his lips and turned to face away.  

 

“What the hell are you laughing at Nikolaev?”  Seto’s snapped as Ana suddenly started giggling. 

“Oh nothing Mr. Kaiba.” Ana answered between fits of laughter.  “You are just so adorable right now!” She laughed from behind her hands.

“Don’t call me adorable.”  Seto’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.  Dammit, She is NOT making this easy.

“Ok, cute then.”

“Call me cute again and you’ll be fired.”

Ana laughed harder as Seto became even more flustered, suddenly remembering she didn’t even work for him anymore.

“Say no more, say no more.” Ana threw her hands up in the air as she put a stop to Seto’s painful attempt of an apology.  Despite her jesting, Ana was genuinely appreciative of the attempt.

“Stop laughing.” Seto said firmly as Ana dropped her smile.  He needed to do this right by Ana, and unlike before, Seto wasn't keen on half-assing it with her anymore.  Taking a deep breath, Seto took a long, hard look at her eyes.  “Ana.” He breathed, his voice steady and stare unfaltering.  “I’m sorry.”

A stunned Ana watched as Seto inclined forward and bowed his head slightly.  Coming from him, is like the equivalent of someone falling to their knees and slamming their forehead against the ground repeatedly.  Lost for words, Ana could only nod in acknowledgement as her cheeks turned bright red, making the situation more awkward than it already was.

 

Desperate to redirect the subject, Ana quickly held out her hand “Since you called truce with my brother, care to extend the olive branch one more time?”

Thankful Ana didn’t press the issue any further, Seto breathed a sigh of relief and reached towards her hand.

“Friends again?”

Seto paused midway as Ana asked innocently. 

“Friends?”  He repeated, he had been so preoccupied in his apology that he had momentarily forgotten Ana had no memories of last night.  _‘Do I tell her?’_ He pondered as he hesitantly reached for her outstretched hand.  “Sure, friends.”  He took her hand in his own and held onto it tightly.  “Not going to back out this time?” Ana asked with eager sincerity as she tightly laced her fingers around his hand.  “I don’t think I can handle another Alena.”  She added, the nervous look in her eyes betraying the playful smile on her lips.

“Never.” Seto shook her hands.  _'I swear this time.'_

 


	35. Straddle me Xerxes

“Mr. Kaiba, the package you requested.”  Sheeri announced timidly as she held out a beautifully wrapped parcel to her boss.  She had been patiently waiting for him in the hallway for nearly half an hour now daring not to disrupt his conversation in the breakfast room.

“Who are you again?” Unacquainted with the new staff members, Seto furrowed his brows as he took the parcel from her outstretched hands.  “Sheeri. Sir.” She answered quietly. 

“You!” The bright red of her nails and the vibrant shine of her golden curls suddenly remined Seto of her identity.

“Didn’t I fire you once already?”  Seto glared as he quickly examined the package.  “Mr. Mokuba said the mansion was short on staff for the holiday season… so.”  But before she could finish, Seto walked away into his office.

.

“Whatever, just don’t touch me again.” He warned sternly as Sheeri followed. Seto had not forgotten what Sheeri did in his office at Kaiba Corp, but since it was Christmas and because he was in a good mood today, he’ll let it go just this once.  The more important thing right now is figuring out how to give Ana her present. 

‘ _Should I get Mokuba to do it?’_ Seto wondered as he carefully slid the box under his desk.

”I’m sorry, you know…” Sheeri continued cautiously as Seto mused over his plans for the present.  “What?” Seto answered absentmindedly as he angled his officer chair to better accommodate the large rectangular box.

“I don’t know what came over me! I’m really sorry Mr. Kaiba!” Seto sighed as he looked up to see Sheeri’s eyes welling with tears. “I, I really admire you Mr. K-Kaiba.” She stammered “-and I thought perhaps-.” Sheeri sobbed even harder as she struggles to finish her sentence.

“Just what do you want from me?”  Seto snapped.

“Please don’t fire me.” Sheeri pleaded between fits of sniffles as streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.

 _‘For god’s sake.’_ Seto groaned exasperatedly as Sheeri leaned onto his shoulder, bawling her eyes out.  “You’re here right now aren’t you!?” Seto reached for a box of tissues as he tried to move away from her.  Why can’t people just be normal around him?

“But Mr. Mokuba said you have the final decision, so I….”

Seto sighed as Sheeri sobbed even harder into her hands.  “Clean yourself up and get back to work.” Seto forcefully shoved the box of tissues in her hands as he tried to pry her away from him.  “You can keep your job.  Just don’t straddle me agai-” His dramatic pause caused Sheeri to cease her crying and looked up from her hands. 

Standing merely a few feet away, a gorgeous brunette with locks as fabulous as her own stood frozen at the doorway.  The cheery smile of this dark-haired beauty vanished the instant she entered this room.  

_‘Oh no…’_

Realizing this was the same girl Mr. Kaiba had been engaging with all morning, Sheeri knew she was screwed.  Swallowing her tears quickly, Sheeri wrenched herself out of Seto’s hands and managed a gurgled _“_ Gomen-nasai!” before bolting out of the office.

As if almost losing her job wasn’t enough, she just had to go and land herself in this it’s _not what it looks like_ situation. 

_‘I’m so fired.’_

 

* * *

 

Ana dialed Alex as she soon as she left the breakfast table.

“Still in Tokyo?” She asked as she looked for a quiet corridor.

“Yup!” Alex shouted as he attempted to drown out loud background music.

“Remember that thing you’ve been helping me with?”

“Yeah?” Alex's voice cleared as he moved away from the noisy crowd.

“Can you finish it by this evening?” Ana whispered as she continued to meander down the hallways, swiveling her head around as she looked out for potential eavesdroppers. 

“What? Why? I thought you were done with him. Besides, there’s a big party tonight!”

Having anticipated Alex’s refusal, Ana went with the story. 

“Here’s why Alex…”

Relaying what she could recall from the night before, Ana smirked as she concluded the everything with the events from this morning.

“No freaking way.” Alex exclaimed.

“You’ve got competition. Help with this and I’ll make sure you remain Mikhail’s one and only.”

“Like he’s gonna let Kaiba jeopardize our 2-decade long bromance.”

“I don’t know.” Ana chirped. “They punched each other last night and then complimented each other about the punches this morning.”

“Oh shit, this is serious.”

 _‘Boys.’_ Ana rolled her eyes as she absentmindedly strolled down a random corridor from the main hallway.

“Where are you guys by the way?”

“His house.”

“Why are you guys at Kaiba’s house?”

“I don’t know! Just make sure you stop by befor-”

Turning into an open doorway, Ana stopped as her throat seized.

There Seto was, holding a beautiful young woman in his arms as she sobbed pitifully onto his shoulders. 

“-straddle me again.”

 _‘What the?’_ Ana nearly dropped her phone as those words came out of Seto’s mouth.

“Hello? Still there? I’m hanging up!”

_‘What did I just walk in on?’_

Alex’s shouts went ignored as Ana’s brain started to shut down. 

“Gomen-nasai!”

Snapping back to reality as she was shoved into the door frame by the girl rushing past her into the hallway, Ana stuttered into her speaker.

“Ye…yeah, I’m here…”

“Do you want me to bring the crew or not??”

Alex’s question fell on deaf ears as Ana locked her eyes with Seto’s.

“Uh-huh.”  Ana mumbled in agreement a without knowing what she had just consented to and hastily hung up the call.

 

*Silence*

 

“She…she straddled you?”

 _‘Oh you stupid motherfu-.’_ Ana was mortified by her unintentional word vomit.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I like being straddled too!”

_‘Stop talking dammit!’_

“I mean, feel free to straddle anyone you like!”

_‘Shut up! Shut up!’_

“Are you sleeping with her-?”

Quickly catching herself as she remembered it none of her business who he sleeps with, Ana panicked and slammed the door shut.

 

* * *

 

“Mokuba! My office! Now!”  Seto shouted into his phone as the shattered pieces of his new fountain pen lay scattered on his desk. 

Groaning as he slammed his head into his hands, Seto regretted so much for not clarifying this poorly timed disaster when he had the chance.  But what was he supposed to say?  “ _Hey, it’s not what you think.  I was Not telling her to straddle me again but was telling her to Not straddle me again instead_.”

Remembering the devastation on Ana's face as she first laid her eyes on them, Seto suddenly lifted his head as he had a light-bulb moment. 

 _‘Wait, does that mean she was jealous?’_ He smirked. 

 

* * *

 

By time Mokuba had reached his office, Seto’s anger had largely dissipated.

“You wanted to see me bro?”  Momentarily forgetting why he had called Mokuba in for, Seto stared blankly with a self-satisfied look as his little brother entered his office.   “Are we being too loud?”  Mokuba asked apologetically, suspecting it was because him and Mikhail were getting a wee bit too rowdy.

Catching a glimpse of the two earlier as he made his way to this office, Seto watched as Mokuba laughed and joked with Mikhail as they shit-talked their way through missions.  It was nice to know his little brother was still able to enjoy Christmas in spite of everything else.

Not wanting to ruin Mokuba’s good mood, Seto decided against burdening his little brother with Sheeri’s bullshit.

“Nevermind.” He shook his head. “Having fun?” Seto added with a smile.

“Oh yeah! Mikhail is awesome!” Mokuba exploded into a giant grin. “I kick his butt in everything!  We’re playing GTA since he won’t stop whining about using the wrong controllers with a busted wrist.  Oh! And he said he’ll let me drive his new Lykan Hypersport next weekend if it doesn’t snow! He also said I can go over to Ana’s place any time to hangout as long as I don’t bring you-” Mokuba stopped abruptly as Seto ceased smiling.  

The two friendless Kaiba siblings rarely did anything together outside of work-related activities.  At most, they crack a few inside jokes here and there and take the occasionally stroll through Kaiba Land; and of course, Seto never joined him on any of the rides. 

Admiring the close bond Mikhail has with Ana (and to an extent, Alex).  Seto wondered that perhaps if he had been more accessible to Mokuba, maybe his baby brother would be just as excited to be around him as he was with someone else’s big brother. 

Not wanting his feelings of inadequacy to show, Seto forced a smile on his face as reassured Mokuba.  “Don’t worry, I won’t intrude.”

“Nii-sama, I didn’t mean-WHOA!” Mokuba startled as the walls of the office started vibrating violently.  “What’s going on?”

Rushing toward the window, Seto and Mokuba froze with horror as over a dozen military helicopters descended onto his compound. 

“Mr. Kaiba!” The head butler shouted breathlessly as he stumbled into the office.  “Someone… has arrived.” Clutching his heaving chest, the butler gasped loudly as he struggled to catch his breath.  “No shit someone has arrived.” Seto growled as he slammed curtains shut and stormed towards the front door.


	36. Spetsnaz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well! 
> 
> I'm grateful to each and every one of you for still keeping up with Seto and Ana's story. It really really means a lot to me to know that someone out there is reading (and hopefully enjoying) this Kaiba-fic. Just know that you are the best AND IIII WILL ALWAYS LOOOVE YEEEW! 
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts with me. Stay safe from the beer virus!  
> Tootles!

Alex stood at the front portico of Seto’s manor laughing to himself as one of his heavily armed men pounded at Seto’s front door.  “Tsk tsk.” With his back turned against the door, Alex wagged a finger in the air as Seto’s pathetically outnumbered security team hurried towards him from their posts.

“Vasiliev!”

Turning dramatically as he heard his name called, Alex beamed brightly as he threw his hands in the air.  “Merry Christmas Kaiba!” The edges of his designer suit and once perfectly styled hair fluttered wildly as the helicopters kicked up another huge gust of wind.

“What are you doing here? Get off my property!”

“Sorry about the grass.” Alex ignored Seto and glanced around nonchalantly at the dozens of attack helicopters ripping and tearing at Seto’s carefully manicured lawn. 

“What are you doing at my house?” Seto repeated.

“You think you’re the only one who has affections for Ana?” Alex threw his head back and roared with laughter as Seto’s face grew red with fury.  “Oh no Kaiba-boy, I am here to claim what is mine.  Now where have you hidden her?”  Seto froze as he took a mental stumbled.  Though it was nothing but sheer coincidence for Alex to have repeated what Seto had said about Ana the night before; nonetheless it had caught Seto so off guard he was rendered speechless.

“Alex! What is all this?!”

Seto braced himself against the doorframe as Mikhail shoved him aside and limped his way across the driveway. 

“Jesus, you look horrible!” Alex winced as he got a good look at his best friend.

“Who are these- are they Spetsnaz?!”

“Ssh, let’s mess with him.” Alex winked as he pulled Mikhail to his side. “That's right! And one more thing!” He flounced around to face Seto and pretend to remember something. “Can't have your cake and eat it too Kaiba." With that, Alex draped an arm across Mikhail’s shoulders as he grinned stupidly.  "Stealing my girl _and_ my man all in one night? You greedy little thing, you. ”

“это не то, что я имел в виду, когда сказал: зайти! (This is not what I meant when I said: stop by!).” Ana shouted as she stormed out of the mansion, pressing her palms against her ears to dampen the sound from the thundering propellers.

“ты сказал хорошо, когда я спросил о команде! (But you said ‘ok’ when I asked about bringing the crew!)”

“No I didn’t!”

Alex looked indignant as Ana stubbornly denied her involvement.  Too bad she wasn’t paying attention when he had asked this rather important question.

“You can take your man-lover and get the hell out of here.” Seto stepped forward as Kaiba Corp’s private security team arrived, bringing with them equal amounts of firepower.

“But she is staying.” He stated firmly, pulling Ana towards him.

“That is unless you _want_ to leave with them.” Seto asked as he turned his head away, quickly clearing his throat to mask the bitter disappointment that unwittingly crept into his voice.

Sensing the cringeworthiness that he was so desperate to avoid this morning, Mikhail sighed as he shoved Alex aside.  “But you said we were meant for each other Kaiba!” Mikhail cried out as he gasped and clutched his hands to his chest.  “Do I mean so little to you now that my sister is by your side?  What about last night?  What about this morning?  Was that all for nothing?”

“Uh… no thanks.” Ana rolled her eyes and cringed at her brother’s outlandishly theatrical performance. “I think I’d rather stay here with you.”

A feeling of pride washed over Seto as Ana moved closer by his side.

“Well, let’s not be hasty now.” He held up a hand and sneered at the two men. “We do have plenty of spare bedrooms upstairs if you two are really desperate to get it on.”

“Haha-!”

Seto swallowed hard as Ana laughed at his insult and suppressed the tingling sensation that had just shot from the top of his head down to the tail of his spine.

“We have floral scented candles too if you need help setting up the mood.” Mokuba joined in as he laughed along with Ana.

“Ok, this is actually weirding me out.”  Mikhail shuddered as he and Alex shrunk away from each other.

Promising them a nice fat Christmas bonus for disrupting their holiday leave, Alex dismissed the Russian special forces before things escalated out of control.  Holding his hands in the air as a gesture of good faith, Alex dropped his melodramatic act as one of his men handed him a small leather briefcase.

“Pardon the intrusion.” He extended a hand towards Seto as the helicopters took off.  “I’ll make sure Mikhail pays for the damages.”

Dropping his unshaken hand as Seto gave him the silent treatment, Alex inquired if Seto could see him inside.  

“Whatever.”

Surprised by Seto’s agreement, Alex nodded back respectfully as Seto lead them to the library.

 

* * *

 

“What’s this?”  Seto frowned as Alex opened his briefcase and carefully laid out its contents on a nearby table.

“Your Christmas present.” Alex chuckled as he settled into the nearest armchair.  Resting an arm over the backboard, Alex relaxed and greeted Mokuba as Seto scanned the piles of documents. 

“But Krevchanko-”

“Krevchanko has retired, I’m in charge now.”

“What are you playing at, Vasiliev?”

“You know, sometimes people do nice things for others without- oh thank you very much, I’ll just have water please.” Alex nodded as Marlina offered him a variety of refreshments. "Without having an ulterior motive, unlike you Kaiba." Alex concluded as he graciously accepted his water.

“Don’t test my patience, I am in no mood.  Now answer me, why are you doing this?”

“Sheesh, _this_ is the one she wants?” Alex jerked his thumb towards Seto as he muttered at Mikhail with disbelief.

 

“I don’t know.” Alex shrugged as he took a sip. “It’s not from me.” He clarified as Seto eyed him with suspicion.

“Don’t look at me either- you are a saint Marlina.”  Mikhail shook his head as Marlina handed him a fresh icepack. 

“Who then?” Seto laid the paperwork on the table as he scrutinized everyone in the room.  It had to have been one of these two.  What do they want in exchange?  Information?  Money?  A share of his company? 

"The damn tooth fairy." Ana mumbled grumpily under her breath as she took in Seto’s disappointing reaction.  Did he even consider she could have been the one to have done this?  Is he doubting her sincerity or doubting her capability? 

_‘Bet he didn’t think of me either when he was doing it in his office.’_

Sensing Ana’s unease as she glowered at Seto with her arms cradled together, Alex poked her on the stomach and asked in a hushed tone that was loud enough for everyone to hear. “Pss, hey, where’s my _‘thank you’_?”

“You?” Seto’s eyes widened as he came to the realization.

“I figured that’s what your trip to Moscow was really for.” At least that was what she had hoped.  Ana loosened her arms and leaned against the armrest.  “It would have been such a waste of time if you had walked away empty handed.” She added, deliberately manipulating her words so her intentions came off more business related than personal.

“I’m sure he’d rather have wasted it on you instead.”

“What?”

“What? I didn’t say anything.” Alex played dumb as he pretended to look around the room for the real culprit while Mikhail giggled like an idiot.

 

 _‘_ _This was her idea?’_

“Nonetheless, congratulations Mr. Kaiba! и добро пожаловать в россию (and welcome to Russia)!” Alex cheered as he toasted the air with his empty glass.

_‘She had it planned this the whole time?’_

Seto carefully gathered the pieces of documents that lay scattered around table and neatly piled them into the briefcase. 

_‘This had to have taken weeks.’_

The two digital locks on the brief case clicked quietly as Seto latched the handles together.

_‘But we haven't spoken…’_

“My lawyers will review them tomorrow.”  Trying to keep his voice devoid of his overwhelming feeling of gratitude, Seto took a quiet breath as he kept his face passive. “Until then, I have work to do, if you’ll excuse me.” Seto dipped his head slightly to acknowledge the room as he slid the briefcase off the table.  “Marlina.” He called out as he walked towards the door.   “Have dinner ready, we have guests tonight.”


	37. Dinner

The reserved and silent atmosphere that had pervaded the mansion through the morning completely dissipated as everyone chatted with their two charming guests.  Alex, a powerful politician in the making, entertained the crowd with his usual assortment of hilarious jokes and stories. Meanwhile, Mikhail, the infamous bachelor he was, shamelessly flirted with the ladies.  

As much as Ana wanted to participate, the nonstop laughing and hollering did nothing to lessen her hangover as the noise in the living room grew louder and louder. 

Frustrated by the lack of information, Ana quietly snuck off and found Mokuba.  “Hey Mokuba.” She motioned her hand.  “May I have a word with you?” She smiled pleadingly as he agreed and slipped away from the crowd.

 

* * *

 

“Yeah, I have no clue, sorry.”

Ana sighed in defeat as Mokuba forced an apologetic smile; just as she had expected, he knew nothing of last night’s happenings either. 

“Nothing at all?” Ana made one last attempt.

“Yeah…Seto kinda just showed up last night with you in his arms and your brother on a stretcher- speaking of, why is he trying to do a handstand right now?”

“Seto did what?”

Hearing the manner of her arrival, Ana bit down on her finger as she stifled a girlish giggle.  Taking advantage of Mokuba’s momentary distraction as Mikhail wailed about his broken wrist, Ana quickly pressed the wrist of her sleeves to her nose and took a deep inhale. 

 _‘The twerp wasn’t lying. Heh…’_  

Detecting a faint trace of Seto’s cologne on the only piece of unwashed clothing from the night before, a muffled giggled escaped though Ana’s sleeves as she started to think increasingly inappropriate thoughts.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Mokuba’s questioned as Ana sniffed the collar of her cardigan before shifting back to her sleeves, all the while grinning like a lovesick teenager.

“Allergies.” Ana snapped out of her daydream and hastily stepped under the nearest air vent, finding the cool air a welcoming relief to her rising temperature.

“Right… Anyways, I think Seto grumbled something about Joey-.” Mokuba continued, returning his attention back to Mikhail’s circus act.

“Wheeler?” Ana interrupted.

“Uh, yeah, Wheeler- HA! Your brother just fell on his head.”

_‘Wheeler huh….’_

 

* * *

 

Ana wandered aimlessly through the maze of hallways as she scanned through Joey’s delightfully chaotic social media.  Wading through the endless memes and reposts, Ana finally located his events calendar and noted down all of Joey’s attendance on upcoming events. 

 

“Oof.”

Preoccupied with her phone, Ana stumbled backwards as she collided with someone head-on.

“Sorry-” A flash of yellow in Ana’s periphery stopped her apology.  A sea of freshly laundered linen lay scattered around her as the object of her collision scrambled to retrieve them.  

“Excuse m- oh.”  The blonde maid startled as she looked up to see Ana’s scornful scowl.

“Hello, maid.” Ana sneered in a sugary voice as she glared at Sheeri. 

Frightened by Ana’s sudden animosity, a frightened Sheeri froze as she knelt on the ground without returning Ana’s curt greeting.

“Hello? You deaf?” Keeping her head low as to avoid Ana’s leer, Sheeri remained quiet as Ana huffed loudly.

“You gonna sit there all day or are you gonna do your fucking job?”  Sheeri hasty returned to her towels as Ana stared down her nose, seething with bitter jealousy.

_‘Fuck, what’s wrong with me?’_

“So-sorry about that.”

Ashamed of her sudden unprovoked detestable behavior, not unlike Alena’s, Ana took a deep breath and reached forward for Sheeri’s hands.  “I’m sorry.” She repeated, helping Sheeri to her feet before gathering the towels for her.  Just what the hell was she thinking? Mocking some poor girl like that?  Is that what jealousy does to someone?  Turning them into despicable bitches?  

Moving ever so gracefully in her impractically high heels, Sheeri swiftly straightened herself from the ground and nodded shyly to Ana’s apology.  Watching closely as the brunette carefully piled the soiled laundry into her arms, Sheeri’s negative narrative of Ana gradually lessened.  Coming from an impoverished background, Sheeri’s attempts at ladder climbing meant she had suffered her share of bullying from the so-called rich girls.  It didn’t help that Sheeri was also beautiful by conventional standards, with her well-proportioned features and voluptuous curves, giving her an unwitting air of privilege and entitlement.  

“I…I really like your shoes.” Ana added awkwardly as she picked up the towels.  The upper echelons of society are filled with bitchy, entitled heiresses, it was rare for someone of Ana’s status to speak with, let alone apologize, to someone on Sheeri’s 'level'.  

“I like your shoes too.” Sheeri smiled as she accepted the last piece of laundry in her arms.  She could see why Mr. Kaiba was interested in this Russian beauty. 

Making way for the walking pile of bedsheet and towels, Ana watched as Sheeri effortlessly balanced the mountain of laundry in her arms as she hurried back down the hallway, her voluptuous hips swaying seductively beneath her maid dress.

Suddenly self-conscious of her own appearance, Ana sighed as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window.  Sure, Seto carried her in his arms last night _‘But who said he WANTED to do it? Maybe they ran out of stretchers?’_ Ana stepped towards her reflection as she mentally picked at her physical imperfections.  It was perhaps her sense of humor that had captured Seto’s attention, which is great for building friendships and all, but can they progress beyond that?  Is there anything he finds physically attractive about her at all?

 _‘What DOES he like?’_   Ana sighed as she pushed up her breasts.  Are her boobs big enough?  Does she need a butt lift?  What about lip injections?  Ana stared at her body and frowned.  

There was no shortage of gorgeous, well educated, and elegant women pinning for Seto attention on the daily, heck, there’s currently one doing his damn laundry.  How the hell was Ana supposed to compare?  Sure she's good at chess and likes doing math problems, but is she ‘sexy’ enough to entice this bachelor on a more intimate level?

 _‘Does he like blondes better?’_ Running her fingers through her silky dark hair, Ana suddenly wished it was a different color. _‘Don’t be ridiculous, why would he care about stuff like that?’_ She shook her head, unconvinced of her own argument.   _‘Am I too fat? Too skinny? Maybe he likes sweeter, more soft-spoken girls?’_ Ana wondered, wishing she hadn’t been acting so tomboyish around Seto. _‘Do I need to be more… domesticated?’_ Ana groaned at the unfortunate preference in women that most Japanese men shared. 

Now wholly focused on the negatives, Ana thought of Alena.  _‘Is Seto only friends with me because of my brother?’_ Devastated, Ana had completely forgotten that Seto knew nothing of her family’s financial situation until last night.

 _‘UGH! Fuck it!’_ Overwhelmed, Ana stormed back towards the living room, the noise and chatter she had so desperately avoided earlier now a welcoming reprieve to her downward spiraling thoughts.

 

* * *

With business associates to contact and a huge business deal to consider, Seto retreated into his office and did not emerge until dinner.  At least that’s what everyone was told.  

In reality, Seto sat alone silently in the darkness as he reflected on everything that had transpired.  _‘I wooed the wrong girl.’_ Laughing to himself at the irony of it all, Seto shook his head as he stared at his present for Ana.  Thinking about Ana’s gift, Seto traced his finger over the edges of the business documents as a soothing warm washed over him.  Despite Ana’s open animosity towards him for the past few weeks, she still had a gift, and a ridiculously thoughtful gift at that, waiting for him, as if she knew they would see each other again.

He just hopes his own gift lived up to hers

“Mr. Kaiba, dinner is ready.” The intercom buzzed.

 

* * *

 

The lively chatter ceased as Seto strolled in the dinning room.  Settling down at the head of the table, Seto silently acknowledged everyone with a quick nod and waved for the food service to begin.

“Nice of you to join us, Baba Yaga.” Alex teased as the waitstaff went about filling everyone’s drinkings in dead silence.  

“I don’t remember inviting you.”  Seto glanced up coolly as he reached of his napkin.  “You didn’t _not_ invite me either.” Alex retorted as he helped himself to the appetizers. 

Not bothering to respond, Seto unfolded his napkin and laid it on his lap. In reality, he welcomed Alex’s presence; the man had brought him a kingly gift after all.

 

Seto ate in silence as Alex, Ana, and Mikhail made conversation with each other.  It started off civil with discussions of the economy, new technologies, and philosophy; all which Seto secretly found to be very insightful and interesting.  But, as the alcohol started kicking in, Alex and Mikhail’s interactions devolved into pure comedy entertainment.  Having dismissed the staff members at Mokuba’s request, Seto felt more at ease to join in the laughter, albeit very inconspicuously as to not to be noticed.  

As dinner progressed, Seto slowly withdrew into himself as everyone socialized freely around him.  Watching Mokuba laugh so hard that he nearly fell out of his chair, Seto wondered if this is how a family was supposed to be.  Feeling like a stranger in his own home, Seto was forced to confront his isolated presence as more laugher filled the room.  Although he embraced his self-isolating ways in the past, Seto had grown to detest his inability to form meaningful relationships.  Feeling a twinge of jealousy as the three outsiders welcomed his little brother with open arms, Seto wish he hadn't been cursed with the social inadequacies of his cruel upbringing. 

“Hey Kaiba!” Seto looked up from his plate as Mikhail called his name. “Ever had her food?” Mikhail asked casually as he flung his fork in Ana's direction.

“Yes.” Seto answered flatly but smirked as he thought of Ana’s chocolate cake.

“Was it atrocious?”

“No.” Seto responded matter-of-factly. “But it looked atrocious.” A little white lie, but a lie he knew Ana wasn’t petty enough to be offended by.

“Ha! Told you her food’s shit!” Alex laughed as he winked at Mokuba.

“Since when did I cook for you?” Ana snapped as the others continued to mock her.

“The cake.” Seto answered simply.

“You...you remember?”

“Yeah, because it was atrocious.”

Trying to not to laugh with a mouthful of food, Mikhail reached over and playfully punched Seto on the arm instead.

“I should’ve poisoned it then.” Ana crossed her arms and pouted.

“It might as well have been.” Seto smirked.

“Hey hey hey, you’re not one to talk.” Ana rounded on her brother instead as he doubled over laughing. “You and your nasty pickle-mayo-peanut butter sandwiches.”

“Ew, you actually eat that?” Mokuba looked disgusted.

“Heck yeah! It’s better than whatever Ana cooks up.”

“Stop asking me to make you food then!”

Eager to be distracted from his thoughts, Seto sat back as he observed Ana’s reactions to their nonstop teasing.  He was impressed, finally, a pretty girl who could take so much joking at her own expense.  It was nice knowing that there was someone out there besides Mokuba who may be able to stomach his preferred method of communication, aka pure sarcastic assholery, without getting needlessly offended or angry.  Knowing this about her now, Seto realize how much weight he must have carried in Ana’s heart for his actions to have upset her the way it did in Russia.

As everyone continued to invite him into their conversation, Seto felt more at ease to speak his mind.  It was hard to believe that less than 24 hours ago he and Mikhail were ready to rip each other apart over Ana.  And now here they are, bonding over Christmas dinner at his dinner table as they mercilessly tease that very same girl.

 


	38. The Present

“Can I still stop by tomorrow?”

“Of course, do you have my address?” 

Mokuba trailed next to Mikhail as they made their way towards the front lobby.

“Looks like I have been replaced.” Ana chuckled as she watched beside Seto.  “You and me both.”  Seto agreed.

_'Her present is still under my desk.'_

Seto wondered how he was going to do it.  Never one for sentimental gift giving, he had no clue how to even breach the subject, let alone actually give her the damn thing. 

“Well, I suppose this is it, thanks for dinner.” Ana smiled. “And for putting up with these two.” She gestured towards the front door.

_‘She’s about to leave, this is your last chance.’_

Ana pulled on her heels as Marlina handed her her jacket.

_‘Do it now before she’s gone forever.’_

“Good nigh-.”

“Wait.” Seto called as Ana waved goodbye.

“We’re leaving!” Alex called out from the passenger seat of his Rolls-Royce as his driver rolled down the window.

Brushing him off, Ana returned to Seto. "What is it?"

“My office.” Seto muttered as he head inside.

 

* * *

 

_‘This room.’_

The walls of his office bathed in a faint orange glow as a fire roared from his marble fireplace.

Ana had failed to recognize earlier it in the morning daylight but there was no mistaking it now.  Recalling that snowy night where Seto held her hand hostage as she read Ledovsky by the dying fire, Ana shuddered to think what poor Seto would make of her now if he ever found out about it. 

Walking towards the marble fireplace as Seto busied at his desk, Ana paused as Sheeri’s box of tissues came within her sight.

“Where are you going?”  Seto asked, caught off guard by Ana sudden departure.

“Alex is waiting.”  Turning as fast as she could, Ana went straight for the door.

A sliver of light escaped into the darkened hallway as Seto blocked Ana from opening the door.  He knew why she was acting this way; he shouldn’t have brought Ana back here out any explanation. 

Deciding to let his gift do the speaking instead, Seto gently motioned Ana towards the fireplace.

“Before you go." He placed a beautifully wrapped box before Ana. "Take this."

 _‘Why is he nervous?’_ Ana glanced down as Seto held the box in his trembling hands.  Instinctively, Ana forward with her own hands wanting to help steady his tremor.

Thinking Ana was reaching for the box, Seto let go and placed his hands behind his back.

 _‘He doesn’t want me to touch him?’_ Wondering why Seto feared her so, Ana left the box untouched as her hands hovered in the air.

 _‘She doesn't want my present?’_ Seto watched with trepidation as Ana retracted her hands back to her side. 

Impatient to deal with the tedious formalities associated with present giving, Seto pulled the gift towards him tore off the wrapping paper from the box.  Retrieving an elegant case from within, two golden locks clicked beneath Seto's hands as he fiddled with the keys.  Pulling the case towards him as he gently held the lid open, Seto carefully examined Ana's gift as his eyes fixated on the contents within.  Never had he attempted to gift such a thoughtful gift before, not even to Mokuba. 

Having purchased this item months in advance, the gift sat in Seto's vault in Switzerland for the latter part of the year before having it shipped all the way to Russia and now brought back to Japan.  Seto was nervous; the time had finally come for Ana to hold his long awaiting gift in her hands.  Seto's thoughts raced wildly as a creeping anxiety filled his mind. What if she doesn’t like it?  What if her brother got her something better?  What if this isn’t even the right one?

Seto hesitated with newfound apprehension.

_‘Do I say something before I give it to her?’_

“You…ok?”

Leaving Ana unanswered, Seto slowly turned the case around. 

“Wha-”

Ana gasped as she beheld the gift with shocked bewilderment.  “Where …. did you get this?” She questioned breathlessly, her eyes teaming with awe.

“Where do you think, genius?” Seto scoffed, holding back his own excitement. A huge wave of relief crashed over him as he observed her positive reception.

“Is this…” Ana couldn’t finish her question as her fingers traced the delicate silver strings of the amber violin.

“The very same one.” Seto smiled, unable to hold back his excitement any longer. 

Gently lifting the Stradivarius out of its case, Ana stared, entranced, as the glossy finish reflected the flickering flames from the fireplace, its varnish danced with leaves of orange and yellow, 

“But someone else bought….” Ana glanced up, looking puzzled, but quickly returned her attention back to the gorgeous masterpiece.

“So?” Seto answered nonchalantly, savoring Ana's admiration and appreciation for his gift. "I always get what I want." 

Though Ana never spoke of the violin that night, Seto was nonetheless observant enough to notice her disappointment when it was auctioned off.  Having no idea what had compelled him to do so at the time, Seto was glad to have sent Roland back out for that second briefcase full of cash that night.  He was glad to have chased down Pegasus and bought it from him for more than double its price.  The one-eyed freak was right after all: Ana _is_ worth every bit of the trouble.

"Thanks, it was really nice of you to show me this.” Unable to bring herself to hope that this was actually a gift for her, the corner of Ana's lips drooped slightly as she reluctantly placed the violin back in its case.  Why would it be for her?  They barely knew each other at that time of the auction.  Even so, why would Seto ever consider her to be worthy of all this trouble.  Besides, who is she for him to gift something so valuable like this?

“But, its...y-yours.” Seto stammered, a little taken aback by Ana’s rejection and lack of perception.   

“Me?” Ana's eyes widened as she looked around the room, skeptical of what she's hearing. “Me?” she repeated, pointing to herself as if Seto was addressing someone else.

_'Do I really have to spell it out for her? '_

“Who else could I possibly be talking to?” Seto sulked away from the table, thoroughly exasperated by her cluelessness. 

“But why?” Ana continued as she strapped the violin back in its case.  

“Because I-” Frustrated by Ana’s denseness, Seto nearly blurted out the truth as he pounded his fist on the table.  “Great, I just wasted a couple million dollars on the world’s biggest idiot.” Feeling foolish and humiliated by her pigheadedness, Seto snatched the pile of wrapping paper from the floor and crumpled it in his hands.  A fountain of embers showered onto the hearth as Seto chucked the ball of wapper into the fire.  “I knew this was going to happen.” Seto stormed off towards the office door as he mumbled to himself.

“Seto… wait.”

Ana pleaded quietly to him from behind. Her delicate, tender little voice reeled in Seto's anger like the soothing hum of a singing prayer bowl.  Thinking his intentions are finally understood, Seto thought perhaps Ana was ready to express her gratitude and profess her undying love for him.

“Yes?’ Seto asked, eager to hear Ana’s declaration.

"Seto..." Ana repeated softly as she placed a hand on his back.

“Can I borrow your Call of Duty game?” 

 

Oh, she’s done it this time.  

 

Seto’s face turned a deep shade of purple as Ana grinned mischievously from ear to ear. 

“YOU ARE THE WORS-” Seto’s tirade was cut short as Ana jumped into his arms and planted a big kiss on his cheeks.  Wounding her arms around his entire torso, Ana buried her face in Seto’s chest as she squeaked with delight.  The carpeted floor muffled the clacking of her heels as Ana bounced up and down.

“Can’t. Breathe.” With his arms dangling helplessly by his side, Seto struggled for air as Ana constricted her bear-like embrace ever so tightly.  

"S-sorry, heh." Ana smiled shyly as she loosened her hug.

Pulling back her smile, Ana cradled Seto's face in her hands as she beheld him in her gaze. Leaning in on her tippy toes until their faces were millimeters apart, Ana closed her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. 

"Thank you."  The warmth of her quiet whisper sent a chill down Seto's spine while the softness of her lingering lips engulfed his entire body in a sea of scorching fire.

 

*BEEP BEEEEEP* 

“LET’S GOOOO!” Alex’s shriek pierced through the closed window as he impatiently slammed down on the horn. 

 

“Gotta go!” Pulling away just as Seto was about to return her kiss, Ana grabbed her present and gave the unsuspecting Seto another kiss on the cheek before dashing into the hallway.

“Thank you Mr. Kaibaaa!” Ana’s cheery voice sang throughout the mansion as she skipped happily towards the front door. 

Looking out his window, Seto could see Ana bouncing in the backseat seat of Alex's car and violently shaking a sleepy Mikhail awake to showed off her new violin. 

“Seat belt!!” Seto chuffed as Alex shouted in frustration, attempting to strap Ana in as she continued to bobble up and down.

 

“Wooo, that is one EXPENSIVE present for a first date.” Mokuba whistled as he joined Seto by the window.

“I don’t go on dates.” Seto rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, you don’t do presents either.” Mokuba teased, chuckling to himself as his big brother attempted to conceal a grin.

 


	39. Delicious Amber Devil Juice

“Get away from me you demon woman!”  The desperate plea of Joey Wheeler went ignored by the throngs of festival goers as Ana chased him down the street.  Frantically trying to lose her as he scrambled through the crowd, Joey’s jawline ached from the memory of being punched by the jealous lover of his relentless pursuer.  

Escaping into a narrow passageway, Joey groaned. 

“So this does happen in real life.” Ana watched as Joey trapped himself in a dead-end alleyway. “I thought this only happen in movies.” Ana smirked, moving to block the only exit as Joey yanked at the pad-locked doors around him like a madman. 

Stalking towards Joey as she reached behind her back, Ana pretended to withdraw a gun from her jean pocket. “I don’t want to die!” Using his hands as a shield, Joey covered his face as he stumbled backwards and fell into a pile of firewood.  Ambling closer as she put forth her best menacing smile, Ana imitated the motion of cocking a gun behind her back as her lips pulled into toothy smile.  “Why would I kill you?” Ana’s grinned innocently behind clenched teeth as her eyes grimaced into a frown.  “We’re friends, right?”  The cynical question was ill-received as Joey picked up a fire log and chucked it weakly in Ana’s direction.  Stalking forward as the log bounced behind her, Ana stop a few feet before Joey and knelt down until she was at eye level with him.  Makes sense why Seto picks on him so much; the monkey makes it too easy.

Pointing a shaky finger at his bruised jaw, Joey reminded Ana of his near-death experience as he shook his head in desperation.  “I’m not telling you anything! Rich-boi will hunt me down and strangle me in my sleep. Nyaaar! Don’t shoot!”

Ana rolled her eyes. 

Pulling the latest Kaiba Corp Duel-X accessory out of her back pocket, Ana sighed dramatically as she fiddled with the holographic device between her fingers. “Well, if you really have nothing to say-.”  

Joey stopped flailing and perked up at the sight of the palm sized projector in her hands.

“-I guess I’ll be giving this to someone else.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on, let’s talk about this.” Joey sniggered nervously as he waved his hands in the air. “Will… will you really give me that thing if I tell you what happened?”

“Of course.” The projector whirled to life as Ana waved it before Joey’s sparkling eyes.  She knew he couldn’t resist; not only was this one of the most expensive duel accessories on the market, it was also one of the most exclusive. "Only if you promise to tell me everything."

“Yeh, heheheh.”  Joey held out his hands as he grinned excitedly. "Can I have it now?"

“Later.” Ana smacked Joey's hands down as she re-pocketed the device.

 

* * *

 

Ana’s new Irish Malfoy charm swung back and forth beneath her rear-view mirror as the engine of her new Bugatti snarled to life.  “Stay down.” Ana warned, tossing a sweater over Joey head to shield him from the encroaching group of onlookers and their cameras. Admittedly, it was stupid of Ana to drive around in such a flashy car in the first place, but dammit it made for such a nice ride.  

Easing her way out of the festival, Ana sped off as soon as she cleared the mob of tourists and photographers. 

“Mmm. This smells good!” Joey muttered as Ana weaved in and out of traffic.

“Gimmi that!” Joey started as Ana tried to snatch the sweater from his hands.

“What? I was just complimenting it! Sheesh.”  Refusing to let go, Joey tightened his grip in defiance as Ana tried to yank it back.

“I said give it!” She growled, pulling at the collar with one hand while trying not to steer into on-coming traffic with the other.

“No!” Joey cried in protest as he stubbornly held on.

Unwilling to start a tug of war with the crazed monkey on a dangerous stretch of the highway, Ana relinquished her hold and relented to Joey, allowing him to sniff until he’d had his fill. 

“Heh, heh, heh.”  Gloating at his triumphant win over Ana, Joey emptied his lungs and buried his entire face into the blue sweater. Inhaling deeply like he was trying to suck up the entire atmosphere, Joey didn’t stop until he became dizzy.

“Now you can have your sweater back.” Joey chortled proudly as he tossed the garment onto Ana’s lap. 

Holding back her laughter, Ana quickly stuffed Seto’s blue sweater in the back cubby of her car.

Taking a moment to recompose herself as she eased her Bugatti into the automated garage, Ana rubbed at her aching sides as she led Joey to a local bar near her condo.

Settling down in a secluded corner of her brother’s favorite watering hole, Ana stretched and yawned as Joey gawped at the luxurious interior of Ginza’s premier rooftop bar and eatery.  

“Now-.” Taking Joey’s hands in her own as she held the holographic projector in his palm, Ana smiled.  “-tell me everything that happened.”

 

* * *

 

The raw skin on Ana’s wrist finally started healing again after Mikhail had threatened to bind her hands. 

*ZZRRRRTPPPP*

Ana winced as the sound of peeling tape ripped through the air.

“Scratch at it again and you’ll regret it.”  Mikhail warned, slapping the freshly drawn piece of duct tape on the kitchen counter before returning to his dinner.

Unable to look her brother in the eyes after coercing Joey into telling her everything, Ana grumbled quietly to herself as she slid her hands into her sleeves.  Did she really make out with her own brother?  What the fuck was she thinking?  Did she use tongue?

_‘BLEH, think about something else.’_

Recalling snippets of her conversation with Joey, Ana instinctively reached for her wrists as she mulled over her hellish demise at the izakaya on that fateful evening.  According to the monkey; Seto Kaiba went batshit crazy.  Sweeping through the entire street with his personal army, Seto threatened everyone with death if they chose not to leave.  Demanding for his property that is barbie doll Ana, Seto then ordered for the beating of her brother until he was rendered concussed and unconscious.  After that, Seto dragged Ana to his car and forcefully held her against her will to prevent her from escaping.  When she refused to submit, he sexually assaulted her against a wall and physically abused her until she bleed from the wrist.  After that, Seto kidnapped the two siblings by knocking them unconscious with a cocktail of illegal drugs.

“Ana!” The roll of silver duct tape twirled menacingly in Mikhail’s hand as he waved it next to a pair of oven mitts. “What did I say?”

“Ok! Ok!” Removing her fingers from the scabs on her wrist, Ana stared off into space as she resumed her scratching underneath the pockets of her hoodie. 

Knowing Joey’s intense dislike for Seto, Ana wasn’t so sure if she bought into everything he had said.  If that was really the extent of Seto’s debauchery, there was no way her brother would've allowed him to live, let alone walk away so unscathed.  Besides, Seto as an obsessive and possessive, psychopathic murder-rapist-stalker? That description sounded a little too aggressive for the Seto she knew.

However, his embellishments notwithstanding, the state of her wrists DID in fact corroborate Joey’s story; and Mikhail DID end up all bruised and bloody.  Unable to decide if Seto was the innocent victim or was deserving of the abhorrence that Joey had heaped upon him, Ana now wished she had remained blissfully ignorant of the whole affair.

Yanking one of Ana’s arms out of her pocket, Mikhail winced as a small trickle of blood leaked onto his hands. 

Though outwardly supportive of his sister’s relationship, Mikhail still regarded her new love interest as someone of dubious nature.  Not wanting to encourage their budding romance (but also not wanting to sabotage it), Mikhail had decided to remove himself from the situation and held back on telling Ana his side of the story.  But, after enduring Ana’s moseying around the condo like a zombie for the past few days, Mikhail couldn’t bear it any longer as his sister both literally and metaphorically ripped herself apart over Joey’s one-sided story.  

“Wanna come with?” Mikhail asked, dropping Ana’s arm as he ran a paper towel under the faucet.

“No.” Ana shook her head as she pressed the damp paper towel to her wrist. “School started, remember?”

“That’s right.” Mikhail debated if he should just cancel his entire trip to Berlin then.

_‘How pissed would Macron and Merkel be if I cancel last minute?’_

“If you’re not gone by 9:00AM tomorrow-.” Ana warned, correctly surmising her brother’s dilemma.  “-I will shred your autographed copy of Superman: Red Son.”

“I’m telling Alex.”  Mikhail chuffed; a Russian oligarch wasn’t going to take the desecration of Soviet Superman very kindly.

“Whatever.”

Mikhail sighed, he was at a loss to help with Ana’s newfound suffering.  Never having the need to save her from her relationships, Mikhail had never seen Ana fret over any of her ex-boyfriends like this.  The worst incident he could recall was the time Ana had caught one of them in bed with a girl she really hated.  Sure, she was upset and cried a bit over it, but 4 hours was all it really took for Ana to get her shit back together.  

 _‘That’s because she got her revenge.’_ Mikhail chuckled, glancing at his little sister as he recalled how Ana had convinced the asshat that she fucked his best friend and his two brothers while they were still together, and then had Alex to pull a successful robbery on the cheating bastard’s girl.

*Beep*

Ana’s eye's brightened as Seto’s name flashed across her brother’s phone.

“What’s he texting you about?” Ana peeked curiously.

“What do you think?”  Mikhail rolled his eyes as he opened Seto’s text.

Given how he had responded the last time Ana had avoided him, Mikhail was genuinely surprised by Seto lack of prying about the current situation.  Not only that, Mikhail did not expect Seto to be so understanding of Ana's need to be left alone; the guy didn't even bother asking why she was avoiding him, he just gave her her space.

Of course, that was only because Seto had made the two circus freaks she call brothers promise they’d keep her safe no matter what; for which he received the longest chain of [Duuuuuuuh] from Alex followed by [no shit, fuckface] from Mikhail.

“I don't think it's right of you to ghost him like this.” Mikhail sighed, returning to his dinner as he responded [sorry mate, still alive] to Seto’s welfare check. 

“I know.” Ana groaned and laid her chin on the island counter. “Do you think he’s mad at me? Should I asked him about what Joey told me? Do you think he still likes me like that?"

Mikhail gave up on dinner and reached for a glass of whiskey.  “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“But what if he’s mad at me?”

Groaning in exasperation, Mikhail filled his tumbler to the brim with his favorite brand of the amber devil juice and sipped on it as he tried to make sense of everything.  Why is Ana acting so immature and clueless about this when she's usually the more logical one of the two siblings?  Same goes for Kaiba, a man so charismatic, confident, and intimidating he's herald as the modern equivalent to the Great Kings of Old; so why can't he stop acting like some awkward teenage virgin nerd around his sister?

Patting on Ana’s back as he gulped down the rest of his drink, Mikhail decided it was time to set the record straight.

 

* * *

 

The holiday break was a much needed reprieve for the employees at Kaiba Corp after their rush to launch the Duel Disc before Christmas Eve.   Hiroka was hoping to receive a happy and well relaxed Mr. Kaiba on her first day back in the office as she looked forward to chatting with him about the exciting rumor of the newly opened Russian market.  To her disappointment, however, Hiroka's expectation of Seto’s happiness and contentment was sadly misjudged.  Picking up an unlabeled envelope as she unlocked his door in the morning, Hiroka wished she hadn’t been so hasty in handing it in before checking the contents herself. 

No less than 5 minutes after she had handed that mysterious envelope to him, Hiroka was frantically calling and emailing at her desk as she scrambled to reschedule all of Mr. Kaiba’s appointments for the day.  If she had known what was in it, she definitely would’ve counseled Mokuba first before delivering it to her boss.  Venturing a guess as to who Mr. Kaiba’s first target would be, Hiroka was stuck taking an important phone call and failed to warn the new intern of the storm that was now headed her way.

 

* * *

 

Not unlike Hiroka, Ana had hoped the second round of her internship at Kaiba Corp would go off without a hitch.  But alas, it was not so.

Having the events of Christmas Eve finally explained to her with as much objectivity as Mikhail could recall, Ana admitted she was wrong to have left Seto so abruptly and unannounced.   
  
Making sure to have cleared her evening of all schoolwork, Ana decided she should ask Seto out to dinner so she could explain and apologize for her actions; it’s least she could do for subjecting him to another round of her impromptu absences.  Eager to surprise Seto at his office, Ana first stopped by her own to unload her backpack and briefcase.

*BAM!*

“Who the fu- Seto!!” Ana beamed as the heavy door of her new office suddenly slammed open.

“Sorry I haven’t called, I -what’s wrong?” Ana pulled back her smile as Seto stormed in without a greeting and slapped a large white envelope onto her desk.  Worried he's seriously mad at her again, Ana put on a puppy face as she played with the inconspicuous envelope in her hands.  “What’s this?” she pouted. 

“You tell me.”

Ana’s puppy face did nothing to stifle Seto’s ire as he tore the envelope from her hands and ripped it open.

Ana inhaled sharply as the two dozen photos of her and Joey scattered out of the enveloped. 

 _‘Who the fuck took those!?!’_  Ana’s eyes widened. 

Before she had the chance to come up with a clever excuse to explain everything away, Ana was ordered to watch some videos as Seto shoves his phone in her hands; the first was of her holding Joey’s hand while they were in Ginza; and the second was of them holding hands at the rooftop bar.

 _‘They followed us around??’_  

Ana groaned.  She dragged Joey around by his hand because if she didn’t, he would stop and gawk at every single display window. And the clip of them holding hands? That was when she handed Joey the holographic projector.  _'How do I explain this?'_   Having promised Joey she'd keep mum about him spilling the beans, Ana had no clue where to even start.

“I swear it’s not what it looks like.” Ana pleaded as Seto regarded her with jealousy and scorn.

“Explain this then.” Seto growled. 

Unable to figure out what she was suppose to explain, Ana knitted her brows in confusion as Seto pointed to the timestamps on the photos of her and Joey at the bar in an accusatory manner.

 _‘Shit, that's right.’_  

Ana’s lips pursed into a thin line as she took a deep inhale.  It just dawned on her that she had ignored the first of Seto’s many calls right about the same time she concluded her dinner with Joey.

Ana sighed and nodded in acknowledgement of her crime 

Jabbing his finger on the corner of another photo, Seto’s eyes twitched with disgust as he dragged it from the stack and flung it towards Ana's face.   
  
“Oh Fuuuuuuuck.” Ana stared at the picture and groaned into her hand. Wondering who she’s going to ask to compose her eulogy for her funeral, Ana readied herself for a long, painful death.

“Is _this_  also not what it looks like as well?” Seto’s scowl deepened as Ana casted him a guilty glance over the question.

“Well?”

Swallowing hard, Ana flinched as Seto came bearing down on her like one of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, ready to vaporize her with his neutron blast.

“You’ve got some nerves Nikolaev.” Seto hissed, snatching the picture from her hands.

“You know that’s my favorite blue sweater.”


	40. Evening

It was well after midnight before Mokuba even had the chance to consider dinner.  Kicking off his shoes as he slumped onto the couch, Mokuba dragged over the basket of snacks Sheeri had left for him on the coffee table and rummaged through it while browsing through the new anime section of his streaming app.  Having to pick up Seto’s slack after he had 'called-out' of work for the day, Mokuba was anxious to find out why, for the love of god, did Seto ditch him on their first day back from winter break.  

“Hey, Hey! Nii-sama!"

Seeing Seto mosey past the living room looking like some kind of dying somber sloth, Mokuba hastily called after his big brother as he choked on a mouth full of chips.

“Seto *cough* get back *cough* here.”

Slapping at his chest as he gulped down half a glass of his ginger ale, Mokuba forced down the ball of potato that was lodged in his throat and chased after Seto.

“Where were you all day?”  Mokuba demanded as he dragged Seto into the living room.  A few bags of his snacks tumbled out of the basket as Mokuba shoved it aside to make room for his brother on the couch. “They told me you had an emergency!”

Seto sat on the edge of his expansive leather sofa as Mokuba hounded him with questions.  Noticing the floor littered with a rainbow variety of Mokuba's favorite snacks, Seto bent over and snatched up the closest one with way more force than it was necessary. 

Mokuba’s eyes widened as a bag of his favorite chips exploded in Seto’s hands.  Trying to save his only meal of the day before Seto could crush it to a pulp, Mokuba quickly muted his anime and tried to grab his dinner back.

“You-?” Mokuba watched with stunned bewilderment as Seto reached into the bag and withdrew a half broken potato chip.  Mokuba stared, mouth agape, as Seto grumpily stuffed the overly salted chip into his mouth before relinquishing his hold on the bag.

“Who-who died?”  Mokuba stammered, cradling the precious bag of fried potatoes slices to his chest; the last time his big brother took a bite of something costing less than $50.00 was after his last duel with Yugi! (For which he should’ve totally won had the shrimp not pulled a fast one on him).

“Wheeler.” Seto mumbled as he brushed the large chunks of salty crystals off of his fingers. 

“You killed Joey!?” The bag crinkled loudly as Mokuba exclaimed, accidentally crushing his own dinner in the process.

“I will.” Seto vowed as he took a swig of Mokuba’s ginger ale.  

After Seto had bankrupted another Fortune-500 company over a parking dispute at his favorite restaurant, Mokuba had always aired on the side of caution when it came to taking Seto's threats seriously.

Motioning Sheeri for another glass of ginger-ale, Mokuba became even more concerned as Seto grabbed another bag of his snacks and ripped it wide open.

“What did he do?” Mokuba treaded carefully as Seto angrily tore off most of a chocolate mochi with a single bite. 

With Kaiba Corp being the sole focus of his life, Seto had always surrounded himself with hordes of the best business advisors and scientists he could find; always on standby to give him counsel at a moment’s notice.  But aside from his work, Seto cared not for the opinions of others on the more private aspects of his life; for example, he’d be damned if someone else becomes more qualified than him at his hobbies (qualifies enough to school him that is); and no one on earth has the right to tell him how he should feel about his baby brother, aka his only family.

Having only ever had dealings with girls who either lusted after his looks or his money, Seto never had to do more than to provide them with ample amounts of his cash or penis to keep them happy.  But when it came to Ana, who was equally wealthy, Seto knew that even if he had offered her a life-time supply of his penis-on-demand, it still wouldn't be enough keep her around.

At a loss as to what to do after his argument with Ana, who refused to back down and admit she was wrong for cheating, Seto gnawed at the gooey rice cake as he debated on how much to tell Mokuba.

More apt at entertaining the opposite sex than he was, Seto had always relied on his little brother as an interpreter and janitor for any of his messy 'break-ups' (that is, if his money-penis solution fails, which thankfully doesn't 99% of the time).  However, unlike his previous exploits, Seto hesitated to discuss anything about Ana because so much of his personal emotions are involved.

Thinking back at how envious he was of the close bond Ana, Mikhail, and Alex has with each other, Seto decided he should give this ‘opening-up’ thing a try and trust that his brother would not think any less of him for showing some vulnerability.

Stuffing the remainder of the mochi in his mouth, Seto waved for Mokuba to sit closer by him.

 

* * *

 

Stunned by Seto’s sudden frankness regarding some of his inner most thoughts and feelings, Mokuba sat speechless as Seto concluded his ramblings with a sigh. Wanting to tackle his brother into a rib-crushing hug, to say Mokuba was ecstatic at Seto’s invitation to have a ‘bro-talk’ would be massively understating it.  Having already suspected Seto and Ana’s mutual attraction towards each other (because it was quite fucking obvious), Mokuba couldn't wait to bestow Seto with of some of his relationship ‘expertise’.

“What does Wheeler have that I don’t?”

"Uh."

Mokuba hesitated as his big brother openly griped about his insecurity.  Encouraging Seto in matters of business and competitions came second nature to Mokuba, but suddenly having to convince his devastated brother of his superiority over another man in terms of boyfriend-material?  Perhaps he isn't as much of an expert after all.

“Abandoning me for that halfwit…” And of all people, Seto was feeling insecure against Joey fucking Wheeler. "And Vasiliev too..."

"I pretty sure Ana would consider that incest." Mokuba comforted.

"Well she kissed Mikhail on the mouth so who says she won't do it to Vasiliev?"

Mokuba’s eyes widened.

"She did what?!"

Ana sure as hell omitted that little detail when she told to Mokuba what Joey had said!

"And what did you just call her brother?!"

"Scholtz." Seto mumbled his correction awkwardly, finding his sudden familiarity with Ana's brother quite disconcerting.

 

 

“Really? Nothing?” Seto frowned as Mokuba’s stared at him, slack jawed and silent, for the entirety of a minute.

“So so- you left before she had the chance to explain herself?”  Mokuba stammered, snapping out of his state of shock.

“What’s there to explain?”

"You told Ana she's nothing special and that there are plenty of better girls at your disposal?"

"That's the truth." 

 _'Except the 'nothing special' and 'better girls' part.'_ Seto admitted begrudgingly to himself.

“She won’t return your sweater?”

“If you’re just going to give me a repeat of everything then I think we’re done here.”

“Hold on! Hold on! Let me think.” Mokuba pleaded as he furiously scribbled notes on his mental clipboard.  Mokuba knew there was no illicit relationship going on behind Seto’s back because he himself was an accomplice to Ana's interrogation of Joey; he was the one who unwittingly gave Joey’s name as an eyewitness and he was the one who gave Ana the holographic projector.

“She knew I liked that sweater.” Seto grumbled bitterly as he reached for another mochi.

Mokuba tapped a pretzel stick against his forehead as he mulled over possible solutions. If Seto was willing to ruin someone’s livelihood over a parking spot, what will he do to Joey if he ever found out that it was Joey's slander of him that had drove Ana away? _'But is it worse than having Seto view Joey as a romantic rival?'_ Mokuba snapped the pretzel in his hands as he debated between the lesser of the two evils. 

“Bet she gave my sweater to Wheeler.”

Watching Seto so fixated over his blue sweater made Mokuba want to laugh out loud.  After thinking it over, Mokuba reasoned now isn't the best time to address the ‘Joey’ situation as Ana and Seto are being way too nitpicky over the small, inconsequential details.  Realizing it was more important, and more feasible, to reconcile them first before tackling to clarify the misunderstanding,  Mokuba patted Seto on the shoulder as he eagerly started laying out his plan.

 

* * *

 

Realizing how frustrating it was to be on the receiving end of a silent treatment, Ana vowed to never ghost Seto ever again.  Picking up her phone as she debated on calling him for the thousandth time, Ana felt immensely guilty for having had to ignore Seto's texts and calls all those time before.

Being more at liberty to work from home now that the Duel Disc-X launch fiasco is over, Seto heeded to Mokuba’s advice and avoided going to Kaiba Corp unless absolutely necessary. 

Careful to minimize their chances of running into each other, Seto always made sure Ana wasn’t scheduled to work whenever he planned for meetings.

Though initially doubtful of Mokuba's plan’s success, Seto was happily proven wrong as he looked forward to hearing Mokuba’s daily account of Ana’s constant pestering of him and Hiroka about his whereabouts.  On top of that the PI’s he had tailing Joey reported no sighting of Ana around the monkey-boy either.

“Marlina said Ana stopped by again.”  Mokuba informed as he and Seto enjoyed dinner in one of his many private residences around the city.  “I think she’s onto this apartment, you might want switch to the penthouse before tomorrow night.”

Feeling smug over Ana’s determination hunt him down, Seto snickered as he savored the deliciousness of his perfectly done Wagyu steak.  “I’m going to Paris tomorrow.” Seto reminded as he took another bite.  Sporting a satisfied grin as he imagined Ana frantically pleading for his love, Seto considered that perhaps he _was_ too hasty in his assumption of her and Wheeler’s illicit relationship. 

 

* * *

 

Having hacked her way into Seto’s work calendar after failing to track him down in person, Ana thought for sure she was going to finally catch him off guard after his meeting with the merger today.

“Did he leave?”

Ana groaned as Hiroka nodded her head regretfully. 

_‘Sneaky bastard.’_

Fuming as she stormed past the hordes of spectating Kaiba Corp employees, Ana cursed as a police car and a tow truck pulled up next to her sloppily parked Bugatti at the front entrance.

_‘You’ve got to be shitting me.’_

Ana punched the dashboard of her back up Audi as the warning lights flickered on the before the engine went dying.

_‘This is a conspiracy.’_

 

* * *

  
“Where is he?”  Ana demanded as she cornered Mokuba in the elevator, furiously jabbing at the close-door button to prevent anyone else from entering.

“He’s not here.”

“Obviously!”

Mokuba smile as Ana stomped her feet in frustration.

“He’s not answering my texts or calls!”

“He’s not?”

“Marlina said he’s not home either!”

Taking a mental note to give Marlina a raise, Mokuba shrugged.

“Is he still angry with me?”

“Oh yeah, he’s furious.”

“Over that whole ‘dating’ thing?”

“And over his sweater.”

“Well he’s not getting that damn sweater back until he stops being annoying.”

“Eh, he’s commissioned a new one from Tom Ford already.”

Ana glowered as Mokuba taunted her with a smug look; he knew she was innocent!

“In any case.” Mokuba continued. “He’s not here, he’s in Paris.”

Alarmed by this unexpected update, Ana threw a suspicious glance in Mokuba’s direction.

“Why is he in Paris?”

“He’s there to celebrate Lira’s birthday.”

“He flew all the way out to Paris for some girl’s birthday!?” Ana cried out in disbelief, baffled by the absurdity that is Seto’s attendance at any non-business-related social gathering. 

_‘IS IT for business?’_

No way! He just got a huge deal in Russia, there was no reason for him to make a move into the Middle East right now.

”Who the hell is this Lira?!” Ana’s eyebrows arched into a scowl as she towered over Mokuba.

“Ansari’s eldest daughter.” Mokuba replied.  “But he’s is mostly there to get acquainted with their youngest daughter, Zara, actually.”

Barely able to contain his laughter as Ana’s agitation manifested into a stuttering tirade of broken syllables, Mokuba turned away and snuck himself a quick chuckle. “You know, #12 on Esquire’s Most Beautiful Women in the world, have you meet-”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve seen her, the pretty little thing.” Ana grumbled as she recalled catching a brief glance of Ms. #12 at the charity dinner.

“And from what I gathered; the Ansaris are extending Seto an offer of marriage.” He continued, tormenting Ana with his carefully laid out lies. “And Seto’s seriously considering it.”

“What about me?! Did he ever consider-” Ana nearly blurted out the rest as the elevator door opened at the most inopportune time to a sea of Kaiba Corp employees.

“What _about_ you?” Mokuba asked as Ana chased him to his office. Taking advantage of the ambiguity that is Seto and Ana’s relationship status, Mokuba smirked. “Don’t be silly, why would he consider you for marriage?  You guys aren't even dating.”

“But we…" Ana swallowed the word ‘kissed’ as Mokuba’s secretary greeted them and unlocked his door.

“What? Made-out?”

“…”

Mokuba’s eyes widened with shock as Ana replied to his throwaway guess with blushing silence.

 _‘Oh shit! Seto never said anything about that!!!’_ Biting down on the inside of his lips as he tried not to react over the juicy news, Mokuba took a long inhale and put forth his most convincing concerned expression.

“But those pictures Ana…”  He sighed, feigning sympathy. “Even if you _are_ interested in him, you know Seto doesn’t give second chances.”

“Why didn’t he fire me then?” Ana challenged.

“That involves paperwork, and Seto doesn't care to deal with things that are unworthy of his time.”

"So what, I’m unworthy of his time?”

“I guess.”

“And he has no interest in me whatsoever?”

“I never got the impression that he had any interest in you to begin with."

Crying out in agitation, Ana pulled on her hair as she bought into Mokuba’s overambitious, and frankly insensitive, lie.

“But if you really want to see him." Mokuba added, double-crossing Seto so his ultimate master plan would progress smoothly. "I may be able to help."

Ana nodded eagerly as the young Kaiba offered his aid.

“He’s coming home around midnight tonight and will be flying out to Shanghai tomorrow morning.”

“Uh huh.”

“I can convince him to stay at the mansion tonight and send away the housekeepers for a couple of hours.”

“Ok. Go on.”

“I can sneak you in beforehand so you can...” Mokuba made a motion of trapping his paperweight with his hands.

“But I have a homework due in the morning.” Mokuba nearly face palmed with the paperweight as Ana answered with infuriating naivety. “It’s 20% of my grade!” She defended.

“Ok, fine, scrap that.” He sighed. “It’s probably for the best anyways since Sheeri will need to stay the night and get her luggage ready.”

“Who?” Ana snapped, what does this _Sheeri_ have to do with anything?

Clearing his throat so to enunciate his next words clearly, Mokuba divulged. “Oh, she's the girl Seto is taking to Shanghai if Zara doesn’t work out.”

"How many more girls does he have lined up after that!?” Ana exclaimed, unwilling to believe that Seto, a poster boy of the aloof, was secretly just as much of a man-whore as her brother.

Sniggering to himself, Mokuba grabbed what he came in his office for and made his way to leave. “I don't know, probably a small country's worth."

“And who the hell is Sheeri!?” Ana demanded as she rounded on Mokuba, her voice trembling with jealous rage. 

"Oh! You guys haven't met?" Mokuba raised his brows with feigned astonishment as he strolled towards the door. “She’s our new laundry maid.” Chuckling bashfully like he's some prepubescent teen in sex-ED, Mokuba raised a hand to his mouth and whispered into Ana’s ears.  “I think Seto is quite fond of her.  I caught him checking out her boobies the other day- Ouuuch!!”

Mokuba nearly fell on his butt as Ana yanked him by the back of his collar and threw him onto the couch. “Taking me hostage Ana?” He mocked, overjoyed to have finally provoked her into the jealous rage he knew she was holding back.

“The blond one?” Ana seethed; the pace of her breath quickened as she started to become angry.

“Yep.”

“Always wearing heels?”

“Yep.”

“Has a really nice butt?”

“Yep.”

“The one your brother likes to be straddled by while she cries her heart out?”

“Yep- the fuck?!”

“I knew it.” Ana snarled through her gritted teeth. “Empty the mansion by 11:00 tonight.” She ordered at a bewildered Mokuba as he scrambled to retrieve his jaw off of the floor.

"Wh-what do you plan on doing?"

"None of your business- give me your damn keys.”

Snatching the mansion’s access card out of Mokuba’s wallet, Ana stormed out of his office without another word

 

* * *

 

_“This is Bordelle on Hanatsubaki calling to confirm your 6:00PM reservation Ms. Nikolaev."_

"Yes. Please confirm."

_"Thank you, we look forward to seeing you this evening.”_

Ana dug her nails deep into the leather of her steering wheel as she sped home in Mikhail's Lykan.  Having had so many opportunities thwarted by her unyielding pride, Ana would not let her stubbornness get in the way of her goals this time.  

 

* * *

The purring of Seto’s brand-new Maybach reverberated off the glass panels as he eased it into his showroom-like garage.  Letting himself in through the side door of his mansion, Seto sauntered into his kitchen as he thought of the lovely drive he had just had.

Jet lagged, Seto was wide-awake as the grandfather clock in his breakfast room down the hall announced the time with a few chimes.

 _'It's 12:00 already?'_  

Pouring himself some ice water as he placed a small pastry box the counter, Seto gulped down the glass of cold, refreshing goodness all in one go.

With the frequency of his travels, one would think he’d mastered the art of handling jet lags by now, but alas, Seto always fell victim to those pesky time-zones.  But that trip to Paris was well worth it.  Of course he didn’t attend any silly birthday parties; instead, Seto heeded to Mokuba’s suggestion and took a much-needed reprieve and explored the Louvre in its entirety. 

Suddenly noting the strange absence of his nights-staff, Seto carefully placed his empty glass in the sink and gauged the eerie silence with consternation. 

 _‘At least security is still up.’_ Surmising that the housekeepers must have dozed off in his absence, Seto shook off his unease and yawned noiselessly.

_‘Hm?’_

Spotting the large sticky note plastered atop his copy of this quarter’s engineering summary report, Seto sighed as he picked up the thin binder from the island counter.

“Make sure to review this before you leave tomorrow morning.” Seto read through Mokuba’s reminder as made his way to his office; looks like being jet lagged worked in his favor this time.

 

* * *

 

“Evening.”

The sound of clanging porcelain echoed down the hallway as Seto staggered backwards in shock.  The decorative China on the pedestal he used to balance himself with wobbled precariously before re-balancing itself on its golden stand.

“Welcome home, Mister Kaiba.”

Seto’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest as a sultry greeting purred from the depths of his office. Rushing for the nearest light switch, Seto panicked as the room remained defiantly dark inspite of his frantic clicking.

With the flickering flames from his roaring fireplace his only saving grace from the blinding darkness, Seto took a moment to steady his breathing before feeling his way towards his gun case.

“Who are you?” Seto growled, gun at the ready as he carefully inched towards his phantom intruder. “Show yourself!”

“Come closer and find out.” The mocking snigger that followed the taunt did nothing to ease Seto’s anxiety as the person beckoned him with a curl of their finger.

Flicking off the safety as his eyes acclimatized to the darkness, Seto held his FN5-7 before him and pressed his finger against the trigger as he stalked closer to the mysterious figure sitting on his lounge.

Whipped around the recliner as he aimed down the barrel of his gun, a second loud clang filled the hallway as the gun slipped from his hands and fell onto the solid hearth on the ground.  

“An-Ana?”

Bathed in the auburn glow of a smoldering fire, Ana greeted Seto with a coquettish smile as an ashened log in the fireplace crumpled down onto the cinders below. Her ruby red lips curled into a flirtatious grin as a shower of embers illuminated her steel-grey eyes with a flash of gold and yellow.

“At your service.”

There she was before him; his love, his seductress, his Ana. Seto stood, utterly frozen, completely mesmerized by Ana’s amorous display.  

"Did you miss me?"

Seto watched with undivided attention as Ana slowly crossed one leg over the other before angling them slightly to the side.  Propping herself against the armrest and resting her jaw gently against the back of her hand, Ana bent her knees ever so slightly as she gingerly slid her lower legs against each other.  Smirking as Seto's pupils dilated at the flesh of her exposed legs, Ana subtly arched her pelvis so the hem of her dress slipped up even higher on her thighs.

“What do you say Mister Kaiba?” The strap of Ana's silky black dress slipped from her shoulders as she extended a hand over the recliner. “Let’s have a game.”  The low buttery tone of Ana's simpering request clawed at Seto’s insides as she gestured towards an exquisitely crafted chessboard on the carpet.

”No.” Seto breathed, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Please?” The heels of Ana’s stilettos sunk deep into the thick ivory carpet as she stood unhurriedly from her seat.  Sauntering towards her prey, Ana batted her eyelashes as she surveyed Seto’s body with her alluring eyes. Holding her palms against his abs, Ana slowly slid her hands up Seto’s torso before letting them rest on his heaving chest.

"You know you want to." Seto stiffened as Ana leaned forward and pressed her breasts gently against his body, the breathiness of her whisper caused him to shudder and inhale sharply.

“N-No.” Seto maintain his defiance as Ana squeezed his shoulders and stroked down his arm.

“Why not?” She asked, her fingers gliding over his muscles as she traced them up and down from his wrists to his shoulders. “Afraid I’ll win?”

Taking a quick step back as he wrenched himself away from Ana’s wandering hands, Seto hastily loosened his tie as he swallowed back the urge to return her caresses ten fold.

“We both know you won’t.”  He sneered. “I’ve proven that already.”

“No sirree, that was a tie.”  Ana reminded as she wagged a finger at Seto.  Catching a glimpse of him staring at her exposed back as she strolled back to the other side of the chessboard, Ana smiled to herself as Seto’s gaze traveled downward and lingered on her hips. 

“And this time.” Ana brush apart the slit on the side of her dress and sat down on the carpet with her legs angled to her side. “There will be penalties involved.”

“Penalty?”  Seto scoffed. “What penalty?”

Sliding a pawn forward as she pinched the chess piece between her scarlet red nails, Ana bit down on the corner of her lips as she gave Seto a quick wink of her eye.

“Play and find out.”


	41. God Save the Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graceful Charity did an ammmazing sketch of Seto and Ana the night they were at the auction *squeeel*; see if you can figure out which scene it's from :D  
> Please check out her art work out here (https://imgur.com/M D a z B a S)  
> There are no spaces between the letters in the URL, it's just there just in case AO3 doesn't allow links to be posted.

The sound of crackling firewood contributed nicely to the coziness of Seto’s office as he and Ana silently made their moves.  With only the occasional shuffling of their clothes interrupting the tranquil ambiance, Seto much more at ease to enjoy the experience; having not to play it like it’s some kind of gladiatorial spectator sport.

Suspicious at the ease of which he was allowed to make his first capture, Seto hesitated for a second before snatching away Ana’s pawn.

*Thunk*

Seto knitted his brows as the glistening red sole of Ana’s Louboutin stiletto landed precariously close to the fireplace.  Barely acknowledging what he presumed to be a childish outburst from his opponent, Seto ignored the red heel that laid discarded on its side. 

Devoting the entirety of his willpower to focus on the game and not at the scantily clad distraction before him, Seto hadn’t noticed Ana carefully aiming her foot at him as he captured her second pawn.  

*Thump* 

Finally tearing his eyes away from the game, the two captured chess pieces clinked in Seto’s hands as Ana, with a small flick of her ankle, kicked her other heel onto his lap.

“What are you doing?”  He asked, thoroughly confused by the projectile she had chosen to launch at him.

“Playing chess, of course.” Though smiling, the mischievous glimmer in Ana’s eyes did not endorse the innocence of her reply.

Leaving her to her silly shenanigans, Seto shot Ana a look of warning before advancing forward and seizing yet another one of her pieces for the third time. Noticing some peculiar movements in his periphery, Seto glanced up again at Ana, ready to catch whatever object she'll be chucking at him next.

However, Seto was thrown off guard by something that was completely out of his expectancy.   
  
“What are you-”

“I said there would be penalties, didn’t I?”

Sporting a licentious smirk as a shocked Seto stared unblinkingly in her direction, Ana purred as she laced her fingers beneath the straps of her dress and guided them down her arms.  Shrouding Seto beneath her shadow as she perched on her knees, Ana crossed her arms before her body and slipped her hands below the hems of her dress. 

Swallowing hard as a surge of blood rushed from his extremities to a specific part of his anatomy, Seto stared, mouth ajar, as Ana slowly lifted her dress and revealed her body.  Following the hem of her dress as it traveled over her thighs, the pace of Seto’s heart quickened as Ana revealed the lacy cuff of her stockings and the matching garter belt above it.  Feeling the pressure growing in his pants, Seto crushed the chess pieces in his hands as he watched Ana articulated her hips provocatively from side to side as she teased the dress over her curvaceous hips. 

Unraveling the lacy brassiere that she had cleverly hidden within her dress, Ana smirked as she skillfully slipped on the extra piece of garment and fastened the clasp behind her back; as if she was going to give up her goodies so easily.  And with a gentle tug of her arms, Ana peeled the dress from her chest before pulling the whole thing off with a single, languid motion. 

Seto lurched back as Ana flung her dress in his face.  Running his eyes over Ana’s now lingerie clad body as she tussled her hair to one side.  Seto shifted his legs slightly as the laces that covered her breasts teased him mercilessly with the way it threatens to expose even more of her, in his opinion perfect, body.  

A coy smile stretched across Ana’s lips as Seto continued with his fidgeting.  Taking a long deliberate glance at the center of his pants, Ana made sure her gander was noticed before sliding her castle forward. 

“Your move.”

 

* * *

 

The realization he that had just been conned into a game of strip-chess by Ana smacked Seto out of his trance as she tauntingly slide her castle forward.  He knew it! He knew she was up to no good; allowing him to capture so many of her chess pieces so easily, and so early in the game too.  But in spite of his suspicions, never in a million years did Seto ever expect he would one day besmirch the integrity of this classically dignified game by playing in such a scandalous manner.  Luckily though, it was with a person he wouldn’t mind seeing naked.

“What are the conditions to win?” Seto cleared his throat and asked in a overly mono-toned manner as he pretended to gauge his next move. “What if I strip you of everything before checking your King?”

“Someone is confident.” Ana chuckled as she ran a finger under her chin. “Which ever one of those comes first.” She shrugged, teasing him as she grazed her fingers down her neck before tracing the lacy edges of her bra.

“And what does the loser have to do?” Seto asked, ignoring Ana to the best of his ability. 

“You'll do whatever I tell you to do.”

The mutual smirk they threw at each other assured the other that they wouldn’t go down without a fight.

 

* * *

 

“That’s not fair.” Ana whined as Seto took off his Patek Philippe wristwatch and set it carefully atop his neatly folded tie.

Under the incorrect assumption that Seto would have on apparel that was befitting of a 12-hour flight, Ana had seriously underestimated the man’s preference of form over function as Seto had arrived home in a full fucking three-piece suit.  

 _‘Watch, tie, shoes, socks, belt, jacket, vest, necklace, pants… I’m sure he’ll count the damn earpiece too... shirt, potential undershirt, underwear…’_ Ana’s glowered as she tallied up Seto’s formal attire, wishing she had the foresight to have piled on some jewelry before rushing over tonight.

Determined to get him at least half naked before she was stripped down to her birthday suit, Ana made her move.

_‘Thank god it’s not his battle city outfit.’_

There wouldn’t have been enough chess pieces for the trench coat alone.

Not unlike most girls, Ana had always thought Seto to be physically attractive; tall, handsome, muscular… the usual.  Thinking back on the times she'd seen him sleep, read, and eat, Ana thought it ridiculous how someone can be so effortlessly handsome just casually going about their daily activities.

And unlike most guys of his age and status, Seto didn’t give a shit about his attractiveness; a quality which made him even more appealing.  Add to that his determination, discipline, and the sheer amount of power he commands just by existing, Ana could melt just by thinking about it.  

But being a relatively attractive girl herself, Ana had no shortage of men who were equally as attractive and as powerful as Seto pining for her attention.  Yet of all people, Ana found herself hopelessly infatuated with the one and only person who is apparently immune to her charm and beauty. 

Watching Seto tug at the collar of his shirt as she captured his pawn, Ana shuddered with anticipation.  There was no pretense with the man, he’s just so naturally sexy; like the way he would silence someone with just a subtle glance of his eyes; the way he would absentmindedly graze his index finger across his lips whenever he's deeply entrenched in thought; and right now, the nonchalant way Seto is unbuttoning his shirt as if he's completely unbothered by whatever judgement Ana may have about his physique.  And although Ana couldn’t agree more; _a perfectly tailored suit to a woman is what a skimpy lingerie is to a man,_ she was ready to see Seto stripped bare matter how sensuous he looked in his clothes. 

Practically drowning in her pervy thoughts as Seto gradually revealed parts of his shoulders, chest, then abs, Ana inhaled deeply as she tried to steady her breathing.  Having lost her garter belt and stockings in the process, Ana resisted the urge to cheer as Seto finally started to undo the last few buttons down his navy-blue shirt. Impatient for him to join her in the (near) nude, Ana absentmindedly suckled on the golden crown of her opponent’s obsidian rook as she thought about showering him with the wad of cash in her wallet.

Chancing upon Ana’s licentious reaction as he worked to loosen his cuffs, Seto stopped and quickly re-buttoned his shirt.

“That’s against the rules.”

“What’s against the rules?” Seto challenged as he unbuckled his belt instead; deciding it was the less preposterous item to remove than the shirt that’s keeping his torso covered.

Snatching his belt from his hands, Ana begrudgingly accepted Seto’s refusal to undress as he pointed to his earpiece as a reminder of the generous ‘minus-one’ handicap he had so graciously provided.  Wanting to repay his torment of depriving her of the shirt that was originally promised, Ana angled her body forward as she wrapped the belt around her wrists in a suggestive manner.  Kneeling as she bent over with her bound hands, Ana hovered over the chess board as she slid her bishop in place; pushing her breasts together as she braced herself against the floor.  

Pleased that her theatrics had visibly unsettled Seto-the-Tormentor as he pressed a finger across his lips and inhaled sharply, Ana continued to toy around with the belt as Seto fought to keep his composure.

 

* * *

 

Giving up on trying to strip Seto of his Mary Poppin’s bag’s worth of clothes and accessories, Ana went for the pragmatic approach and played to check Seto’s King instead.  And Seto, with only 2 more pieces of lingerie left to go, strived for the less conventional victory as he slowly stripped Ana of her garments.  

_‘Nearly there, nearly there. No, not there. Go away!’_

Ana stifled a groan as Seto edged his rook closer to her trapped knight.  

The once comforting warmth of the fire now suffocated Ana as her body heated rose in accordance to her rapidly increasing stress.  Gathering a fistful of her loose curls, Ana piled them into a messy bun on top of her head and straighten her back.  The hazy glow from the roaring fireplace amplified the curves of Ana’s buxom bosom and highlighted the line down the center of her stomach as she raised her elbow above her head and arched her back for a stretch.  The bridge of Ana’s brassiere strained against her chest as she threw her head up to ease the knot at the back of her neck.

Sweeping her hair to one side, Ana leaned away from the stifling heat as she distractedly traced her scarlet nails from her chin down to base of her collarbones before brushing it back up the nape of her neck.

Seto tugged at the center of his trouser as Ana tucked her lower lip between her teeth and frowned at the placement of his last play.  The way Ana's wandering hands slid ever so erotically over her body aroused Seto so much he nearly forfeited the game just to expedite the wait on their hopefully inevitable lovemaking.  At the sight of Ana absentmindedly brushing her fingers down the center ridge of her breasts, Seto's willpower faltered as his temptation to possess her took over.  Deciding not to prolong the game with his usual assortment distractions and antics, Seto played the rest of the game in staunch silence in hopes of finishing it quickly. 

 

* * *

_'Yes!!'_

Ana cheered in her head as Seto unceremoniously knocked her Queen to her side. 

Moving to retrieve her fallen chess piece, Ana startled as Seto swiftly confiscated her Queen from her hands and tapped it against the bishop in her other hand as she went in for a checkmate.

“I killed your Queen.”  Acceding to his loss, Seto stated matter-of-factly as he gently pushed Ana's hand away from the board; he may have lost the game, but she must deal with the repercussions of losing her Queen first before being allowed to play her final move.

Wrongfully assuming that perhaps she was exempt from said repercussions by being literally one step away from securing her ultimate win, Ana should've known that Seto would try to make the most out of his small victory before allowing her to relish in his inevitable defeat. 

"So?” Seto sneered, waiting for Ana to decide which of her two lingerie pieces to relinquish. 

Ana stalled as she played with the bishop in her hands, wondering how she was going to make Seto work for his consolation prize.

Correctly assuming Ana wouldn’t give up her goodies so easily, Seto held a finger in the air as he made his way to his couch.  

“You have 1 minute.”  he announced, retiring onto the sofa as he draped an arm across the backrest. 

With an ankle resting on his knee, Seto sat back and let Ana stew in her silence as he waited patiently for her to undress.

 

* * *

 

Spinning the Queen in one hand while his other hovered over his phone, Seto silenced the shrill beeping as Ana stood from the ground. Beckoning her over with a lazy wave of his hand, the Queen ceased spinning between Seto's fingers as Ana sauntered obediently towards him with his belt in her hands. 

With both feet now firmly planted on the ground, Seto eyed Ana with amusement as she extended a leg forward and rubbed it against his knees before forcing her way in. 

A coyish smile curled on Ana's lips as she pried Seto's legs apart with her shin and wedged herself between them.  Wrapping his belt around her neck, Ana looped it through the buckle before letting it dangled in Seto's face as she leaned closer to him.

In one swift motion, Seto snatched the belt from the air and wound it around his hand as he yanked Ana down on her knees.  Ana's chest pressed down against the Seto's swollen erection as she lurched forward from being jerked towards his body.  

"Off."  Seto ordered as he slipped the crown of the Queen underneath one of Ana's shoulder straps and pulled it back before letting it snap back onto her skin. 

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Ana savored the familiar scent of Seto's cologne and the newfound firmness of his body as she slid up his torso.  Tilting her head up to meet Seto's eyes, Ana peeked through her curtain of eyelashes as she tightened her hug.

“mm-M-mm. I don’t wanna.”  Ana whined as she pushed her lips together into a piteous pout, beseeching Seto with her big puppy eyes as she shimmied her body in protest.  

Squeezing his knees together, Seto stopped Ana’s squirming as he pinned her between his muscular thighs.  

“Quiet.” He admonished. "Nobody cares about what you want." 

Changing her tactics, Ana smiled and lowered her head as she rested her chin on his midriff.

“How about we call it even.” Ana negotiated as she moved back and eyed the queen in his hand.  An offer of truce; the exemption of removing her top garment in exchange for an exemption of his punishment for losing the game.

Undeterred, Seto gave the belt a quick tug as he looked down at Ana with a smirk.

“No bargains.”

"Lame."

Seto slacked his grip slightly and let the belt uncoil from his hands as Ana rolled her eyes playfully and slithered away from his body. 

Straightening up on her knees, Ana brushed her fingers from the back of Seto’s waist down the sides of his hips before letting them linger on top of his pelvis.

“What about substitutes?” Drawing circles with her fingers, Ana inched closer to Seto’s zipper as she beheld him with a seductive gaze. “I made a promise to Bill after all.” 

Dissembling his laughter as Ana reminded him of the oral service Bill had accused her of providing, Seto nearly acquiesced to her offer before remembering how much he hated receiving oral sex.  Between the awkward eye contacts and the unaesthetic way his partners had always gone about it, what Seto hated the most about getting head was the powerlessness that comes with handing the reins to someone else.  After seeing the smug look on the girl's face the last time he had done this (because he had lost control of his voice and facial expressions for no more than a few seconds), Seto vowed to never do it again lest someone let themselves be rendered deaf, blind, and muted first.

Snapping his fingers in Ana’s face as she giggled at the irony of Bill’s accusation, Seto regathered her focus and shook his head at her request.

“Fulfill this one first.” The uncompromising tone of Seto's voice gave no indication of his willingness to accommodate any more of Ana's requests.

“You sure there is nothing else you would like instead?” Ana implored, though already resigned to her fate and was ready to surrender her brassiere after this final attempt.

“....There is actually.”

Seto's flirtatious demeaner vanished as his shoulders tensed and his expression hardened.  Speaking as if he was addressing a subordinate, Seto released the belt from his hands and tilted Ana’s head up as he positioned the tip of the Queen beneath her chin.

“I would like to know what you were doing with Wheeler.”

_‘Unbelievable!’_

Digging her fingers into a pressure point below his knees, Ana released herself from Seto’s hold and tore the belt off from around her neck. 

Holding her head in her hands, Ana tilted her head back and pressed down on her throbbing temples. “Really? Right now?”  She groaned, frustrated by his staunch persistence over this topic.

“Do you have something to hide?”  Seto narrowed his eyes and slammed the Queen onto the sitting table beside the couch.

“Nothing happened, we just-”

“We just what-?” Seto demanded, re-crossing his arms and legs tightly to safeguard himself from any intrusions.  Despite every fiber of his being aching to continue as they were, Seto relented to the malignant insecurities that had been gnawing at him in the back of his head.

“What else did you guys do behind my back?”  

The derisive tone of his question did not sit well with Ana. 

“Another dinner perhaps? I didn’t peg Wheeler as the romantic type, but perhaps I’ve misjudged him.”  Seto pried, secretly begging for Ana to contradict him, begging for her to fight back.

“Did you guys have fun at the festival?”

All Seto wanted was reassurance, reassurance that Ana never abandoned him to begin with.

“Does my sweater look good on him?”

Seto had always fought his own battles; ensuring all offenses made against him, no matter how illogical or trivial, were dealt with punitively.

“Did you strip for him as well?”

But what he needed right now was for someone, anyone, to lend a helping hand as he fought against the voices of his inner self.

“You’re disgust-”

 

“Will you just shut the hell up!!?!”

Fed up with Seto’s constant belittling, Ana bolted forward and shoved Seto back as he made a move to get out of his seat.  Holding him down by his shoulders, Ana swung a leg over Seto’s body slammed her butt down onto his lap.

“You really want to know what happened with Joey!?” 

Ana shouted, wondering how such a senseless, misperceived slight warrants this level of mockery from him.

“I’ll tell you right now!”

The top few buttons Seto’s dress shirt unfastened as Ana forcefully tore his arms away from his chest.  

“I chased Joey down at the festival because I wanted to know what happened on Christmas Eve!”

Ana’s wrists ached as she strained to pin Seto’s hands against the backrest.

“Stop giving me shit about your sweater! I handwashed the god-dammed thing that night, and he never even wore it!”

Digging her nails into his forearms, Ana continued.

“As for dinner, he talked and I paid for his drinks, that was it!  Why are you so insistent on something happened?”

Suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, Ana swallowed hard as her throat tighten.

“I don’t even remember most of it because I couldn’t stop thinking about you all evening.”

Ana’s lashes glistened with tears as she stared into Seto’s piercing blue eyes, her furious disposition now a pleading desperation.

“Don’t you realize how much you mean to m-?”

Scolding herself for foolishly confessing her unrequited feelings, Ana's soft curls swept across Seto’s cheeks as she turned her head aside and hastily averted her eyes.

“And I’ve never worn…”

Glancing down at her undignified attire, Ana hung her head as she regarded herself with shame and exasperation. For her to have gone overboard like this… the lingerie, the strip-poker chess game, the flirting…

“You're the only one…”

She should've known better, at the end of the day they barely knew each other at all.  Having had more fights together than they had spent time together, considering that the number of _dates_ they shared rested firmly at zero, how silly it was for Ana to think Seto would find any of this remotely amusing, let alone arousing. 

Ana relinquished Seto’s arms and slumped backwards.  

Though Ana had tried to apologize and explain everything to the best of her abilities for the past few weeks, perhaps she shouldn’t have waited so long before telling Seto the truth about Joey specifically.  But what’s done is done; in her mind, there is nothing more she can do to wash herself clean of her alleged crimes.  

“Didn't mean to waste your time.”

Ana held back tears as she laughed bitterly at herself, tugging her lingerie back in place as she pushed herself off the couch.

“Have fun with Sheeri.”

A loud crash reverberated throughout the office as Seto pulled Ana back onto his lap.  The force of his movement knocked the couch against the end table, causing it to overturn on its side.  Gluing their lips together as she fell into his lap, Seto trapped Ana in his arms before carrying her back to their unfinished game.

The Queen rolled noiselessly from the toppled end table and joined her fallen army as Seto shoved the chessboard aside, scatting the remaining pieces onto his office floor.

Not breaking their kiss, Seto laid Ana down on his softly carpet floor and pinned her beneath his body.   Grabbing a hold of her wrists as she reached to push him away, Seto held Ana’s arms firmly above her head as his other hand moved to trace the hems of her lacy panties.

Moaning into Seto’s mouth as the warmth of his hands brushed up against the back of her legs, a shiver ran down Ana's spine as Seto's fingers snaked their way onto the smooth, sensitive skin of her inner thigh.  Her moan became louder as Seto's hands conformed to the contour of her butt and slid inward until he reached the inner seams of her undergarment.  Ana twitched as Seto grazed a gentle finger against the bottom of her panties, applying light pressure against the more sensitive parts of her body. 

Surprised by the fervid way Ana reacts to even the slightest touch of his hands, Seto smirked as Ana shut her eyes in pleasure while he continued to press down on her clit.  Eager to find out just how sensitive she really was, Seto planted a small kiss on Ana's neck and gloated as he felt her hands gripping at the carpet from his lips just barely brushing against her skin.  Releasing her arms as he nestled his lower body between her legs, Seto grabbed hold of Ana and lifted her hips in the air as he gently pressed himself against her pelvis.  Feeling Ana's thighs clinch as if she was ready to climax from this simple act, the beast in Seto reawakened as he realized how truly powerless Ana was in his hands.  

Muffling Ana's moan with his mouth as he continued to tease her body, Seto sniggered as Ana broke away from their kiss and bit down on her finger in a futile attempt to maintain her sanity. 

“Last chance to follow through with your rules.” Seto growled into Ana's ears as he allowed her a momentary reprieve. “Before I enforce them.” He threatened, hooking a finger around the center bridge of Ana’s bra as he hungrily feasted on her succulent lips once more.


End file.
